


With Fires And Pillows

by DanikatTheSnarky



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dumbledore Bashing, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Ginny Weasley Bashing, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Minor Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood, Molly Weasley Bashing, On the Run, Protective Harry Potter, Pureblood Harry Potter, Ron Weasley Bashing, Seer Luna Lovegood, Strong Neville Longbottom, Teen Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-19 04:39:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 23
Words: 32,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14866778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanikatTheSnarky/pseuds/DanikatTheSnarky
Summary: What happens when heartache and Firewhiskey meet? The world shifts, views change, and life is irrevocably altered. After Ron and Lavender display a messy kiss, the other two of the Trio retreat to escape the pain. In the process of numbing their pain, they see each other in a new light that Sets of an unprecedented chain of events. Secrets are revealed and life as we know it will never be the same.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All the credit in the world goes to JK Rowling! This is her sandbox, I'm simply playing in it.
> 
> Currently under construction! i'm recently moved this story in it's entirety from FFN and am still adding to it. This story is completely unbeta'd and I'm working on thoroughly editing and cleaning up any and all errors.

"Where is she?" Harry asked himself out loud as he walked through the castle in search of Hermione.

They had been celebrating Gryffindor's victory, and Ron's brilliant playing, when everything had gone down hill. As everyone was celebrating and cheering their excitement, Lavender Brown had appeared out of no where, pulling Ron into a very wet, very public kiss.

Harry, who was standing with Hermione, saw her reaction; the look on her face as though someone had punched her before she silently fled the room.

Harry had been about to follow her when he caught sight of Ginny in the corner with Dean Thomas, snogging passionately enough he was surprised they were till clothed. Harry's heart sank and his gut twisted. he knew that there was no way he'd ever have a chance with her but still, the sight of her in someone else's arms was painful.

Harry continued down the corridor and down another flight of stairs and finally found his goal. Hermione was sitting on the bottom step, little birds floating around her. Flicking her wand she created more, "Just practicing," she said, attempting to hide her tears.

"Mione..." Harry said softly, sinking down to sit next to her on the cold stone step.

He knew she was hurting and wished there was something he could do but he was clueless. All he wanted was to make her feel better but all he could do was sit there in silence.

"Does it hurt?" Hermione asked finally, her voice soft and strained.

"Does what hurt?" harry replied in confusion.

"When you see Ginny with Dean?" she supplied. Harry froze. he hadn't realized anyone had noticed his feelings. He'd gone out of his way to hide how he felt towards the youngest Weasley. "Sorry." Hermione added, "but I've seen the way you look at her when you think no one is paying attention."

Suddenly there was a commotion at the top of the stairs. looking up at the same time, the two Gryffindors caught sight of the third of their trio, only he wasn't alone. Ron stood there, attached at the mouth to Lavender, their hands tugging and tearing at each other.

Harry froze, worried about the brunette next to him and her reaction. Glancing over at her, his heart went out to her; the look of pain on her face undeniable. He couldn't bear to see her like this and he damn sure wouldn't let anyone else see her hurting.

Quietly he took her hand, pulling her around the corner before they were seen. Leading her down first one corridor, then another; not sure where he was going, just trying to put as much distance between them and the scene behind them.

Finally Harry came to a halt, realizing where his feet had led them. Looking up we wasn't all that surprised to see the Room of Requirement.

'How do we always end up here?'

Harry thought to himself. Shrugging inwardly, he concentrated on what he needed.

'A room where we can be alone.'

The raven haired Gryffindor thought to himself as he activated the Room of Requirement. "A place to hide and forget for a little while.'

Slowly the door appeared, answering Harry's call, causing him to sigh softly in relief. 'Thank you...' he thought to the castle.

Harry opened the door and pulled Hermione in after him, shutting the door and, even though he knew no one would find them, locking it.

Still facing the door, having finally released his friend's hand, Harry finally answered the question asked him.

"Yes..." he said in a quiet voice, "it hurts."

He turned and moved farther into the room, examining the setting the castle had provided this time. A relatively small room, lit by a grand fireplace with a pile of large, soft-looking pillows. it was a small, cozy, friendly room, just what they needed.

Hermione was the first to take a seat, dropping herself down onto the inviting pile of pillows; soon followed by Harry. The pillows even softer than they looked, allowing the two friends to sink into their comfort.

They sat together in silence for a long while; both staring into the flames, lost in their own thoughts. Each obsessing and analyzing in their own way.

Harry's thoughts that of his actions. 'How had he been so obvious? Was he really that noticeable in his infatuation with Ginny? Or is Hermione just that observant.'

After what seemed like ages of companionable silence, Harry noticed a decanter of some amber liquid and two tumblers sitting on the hearth in front of them. 'Hmm..' the thought 'how long has this been here?'

Unsure of what it was but trusting the castle implicitly, he leaned forward and picked up the glass bottle, pouring a tumbler full. He tasted it and smiled at the familiar burn of Firewhiskey. Topping the glass off, he handed it to Hermione, pulling her from her silent reverie. "Here..." he said as she took it, "Firewhiskey." he clarified at her mystified look.

The first sign that things were not alright was that instead of rebuffing the drink on grounds of their being under age; the bushy-headed brunette instead downed the burning alcohol in one gulp. The second was her holding the glass out for another.

Obligingly, Harry filled her glass then poured himself one and turned it up. They proceeded to go back and fourth, downing glass after glass, decimating half of the decanter before Hermione fell back to lay among the pillows.

"I'm so stupid." she said, looking up at her friend blearily. "So, so, so very stupid."

"No you're not 'Mione." he said, drunkenly defending her against her own words. "You're 'mazing." he slurs.

"No 'Arry." his friend said with a hiccup. "I stupidly let myself feel for that boy with the e-emotional depth of a teaspoon." she mumbled.

"Nah..." Harry says. "I fell for my best mate's sister." he finished before downing yet another glass.

Reaching up Hermione patted his arm and sighed. "Fine boat we're in..." she mused, not bothering to move her hand.

Harry nodded in agreement, looking down at Hermione. he wished he could erase the hurt he'd seen in her eyes. He hated seeing one of his best friends in the world so upset. 'What could I possibly do to make her feel better?' he thought to himself, noticing the tear stains on her pretty face.

Turning his head, intending to go back to staring into the fire, he caught sight of her legs. Her skirt having ridden half way up her thighs, he noticed just how soft her skin looked. Absently he found himself wondering if it felt as soft as it looked. 'Hermione really has lovely legs." he thought.

For some reason he seemed utterly fascinated with the sight of her pale thighs. Unable to pull his eyes away from his friend he suddenly had the image of those slender legs wrapped around his waist.

'Whoa!' He thought to himself 'I cannot go there with Hermione' he berated himself 'She's just a friend...'

He stopped mid thought, realization setting in. 'That's the problem..." he concluded 'Everyone sees her friendship and not her.' he mused. 'No one notices how she's changed. Her lean legs, toned and lovely.' Moving his eyes finally he let them rove over her body, noting how the years had effected her.

He'd always been aware of her, but now he really saw her. Saw the way her body had filled out; taking note of the way her full breasts swelled against her shirt.

Suddenly he wanted her; needed her. He wanted to slide his hands over that beautiful body that had developed unnoticed. Harry needed to show her just how beautiful she was; just how desirable she was.

His eyes finally meeting hers, he saw the look of confusion in them; along with the remnants of her heartache.

Slowly leaning down towards her, he pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss. "You're beautiful 'Mione..." he whispers to her. Feeling her still against him, he's slightly surprised she doesn't push him away. Lifting a hand, he cups her face, brushing his thumb over her cheek, kissing her again.

Hermione sighed softly into the kiss, relaxing and kissing him back shyly. As he felt her begin to respond, he slowly deepened the kiss, trailing his fingers down her cheek, continuing down to caress her neck.

Harry shifted, stretching out next to her, moving his hand from her neck to her waist, pulling her close to him, pressing their bodies together. As he drew her closer he felt her shudder. Deepening the kiss, he traced her bottom lip with his tongue, asking permission. Hermione relented, parting her lips for Harry with a soft moan.

Taking advantage of the opening, Harry slipped his tongue into her mouth, groaning softly as he tasted her. Slowly he brushed his tongue along hers, massaging it with his own. Moving his hand down to her waist, slowly he slid it beneath her shirt, his fingers skimming her soft skin. 'It's even softer than it looks...' he thought to himself.

He loved it. The feel of her body against his, the taste of her mouth, the way she felt in his arms. he'd never felt anything like this; her response intoxicating. Harry wasn't sure if it was the Firewhiskey, the high emotions, or just Hermione, but whatever it was, he didn't want it to stop.

Moving his hand down from under her shirt, he traced his fingers over the curve of her ass, hardening against her. Suddenly he slid his hand further down, catching her thigh and pulling her leg up around his waist.

As her leg came to rest on his hip, he slid his hand over the thigh he'd just been admiring. Loving the way her skin was soft and thigh supple under his hand. He squeezed her thigh lightly, massaging her leg as they kissed.

Unable to stop himself, Harry brushed his fingers along her inner thigh, grinding against her slowly. "Ah... 'Mione.." He groaned, as he broke the kiss to breathe. "God 'Mione... you are so amazing."

Harry looked into his friend's eyes, breathing heavily, his fingers teasing along the back of her thigh. Leaning in once more, he caught her lips in another deep kiss, groaning against her mouth as he felt her respond, kissing him back. He gripped her thigh as he felt her fingers in his hair, rolling his hips against her, letting her feel the way that she effected him.

Moving his hand a little lower, Harry brushed his fingertips over the thin material of her panties, feeling proof that she wasn't unaffected. He could feel her wetness through the cloth covering her mound. The knowledge drove him wild. He needed more. He needed all of her.

Breaking the kiss, he rolled himself over to hover above Hermione. He looked down at her, he took in her flushed face and heavy breathing; she looked gorgeous laying there under him.

Reaching down, he pulled her other leg up so that he was laying between her thighs. Meeting her eyes, he moved his hips, grinding himself against her, dragging a shudder from her. "Oh Harry..." He heard her soft moan.

"Please 'Mione.." Harry said in a soft plead, "please say yes..." he dipped his head down, licking along the pulse in her neck.

"Yes..." he heard her soft whimper "Harry, yes."

Upon hearing those words from her lips he gave up all hope of stopping, all hope of restraint for their friendship; he had to feel her, had to have her. Reaching down between them, he slid his fingers beneath the material covering her mound, tracing her lower lips teasingly. She was so wet, he wanted to see her, see all of her. Sitting back on his knees, he pulled her up with him, hurriedly pulling her shirt off, his breath catching as he saw her breasts for the first time. Leaning in, he licked first one, then the other, bringing his hands up to cup her plump tits as he did. Squeezing and massaging her with his hands, he took one nipple into his mouth, sucking hard.

Feeling her hands on his shoulders drove him on, moving one hand from her chest and down her body he pulled up her skirt. Leaving it around her waist he continued on, sliding his hand down the front of her panties, cupping her mound. Pushing her panties aside, he slowly slid his fingers back and forth over her entrance, teasing her as his mouth continued to worship at her breast.

He loved the sounds she was making, each suck of her nipple causing her to mewl. He wondered what other delicious sounds he could bring to her lips. Slowly he pushed his fingers between the wet lips of her pussy. almost groaning at how wet she was. Not letting himself push into her, just barely sliding deep enough to tease he moved his hand, rubbing the heel of his palm against her clit causing her to almost writhe under him.

He couldn't wait any longer. Pulling his hand from her panties he slid them off of her. leaving her bare for him as he reached up and stripped his own shirt off. Pulling open his trousers and pushing them down around his knees, he leaned forward once more, bracing himself with a hand by her shoulder. Harry took his weeping cock in his hand, brushing the head over her drenched slit, shuddering slightly in anticipation.

"'Mione..." he said through gritted teeth, trying to hold on to the last thread of self-control, wanting to show her only pleasure. "Look at me 'Mione... I want to see your beautiful eyes..." The flush in her cheeks deepening, she looked up at his command, meeting his gaze.

"You are perfect..." Harry said before he thrust himself fully into her, stilling as he felt himself tear through her virginity; tears springing to her eyes as he gazed into them.

'Oh fuck...'

He thought to himself in mild panic 'I didn't know she was a virgin... Shit!' He held himself perfectly still inside her, trying to let her adjust to the feel of him filling her. The feeling of her wrapped around his cock, squeezing him like a vice with her inexperience, something inside him changed. 'I have to make this special for her...' he mentally concluded. 'Have to make it as perfect as she deserves.'

Harry leaned down, kissing her gently on the cheek, tenderly reassuring her. using his free hand he slowly caressed her upper body, his thumb brushing over her hardened nipple. Softly, he kissed along the tear tracks on her face, trying to sooth away all of her pain. "Beautiful Hermione." He whispered against her skin.

Once he felt her relaxing under him once more, he slowly began to move; carefully withdrawing his length, all but the head, before pushing back in, inch by inch. He knew she had bled, he could feel the slick wet proof of her innocence as he took her; his hand gently massaging her breast, teasing her nipple with his fingers.

It was about her. Her pleasure; her enjoyment. Rolling his hips, he ground himself deeper into her, dragging a loud moan from her. Harry thought the initial pain must have subsided because now he could feel her responding more and more. he could feel her hips shifting to meet his. Her hands sliding along his sides as she sought something to hold on to.

Moving his free hand lower between them, he brushed his thumb over her clit as he began to move a little faster, angling his hips so as to hit that deepest part of her.

Hermione began to tighten around him, her breath coming in a ragged pant. Suddenly she exploded around him, her tight inner walls clamping down around his rod inside her, Harry's name on her lips in a feral scream of pleasure.

Feeling her combust around his cock he couldn't stop his reaction; erupting inside her, pouring every drop of his hot seed into her, her name a hoarse shout.

Breathing heavily, he eases himself out of her, kissing her once more as he does. Harry sits back on his knees to kneel between her legs, admiring the way she looked, splayed out, panting and still flushed from sex.

Getting more comfortable he finally removes his trousers the rest of the way. Tossing them away to join his shirt he reaches for Hermione, helping her rid herself of the remainder of her uniform.

Noticing a bowl beside the pillow he looks a little closer and realizes it's water, with a cloth draped over the side. Smiling at the ever prepared Room of Requirement, he reaches over and picks it up. Leaning down, he kisses her navel softly. "Let me clean you..." He whispers against her soft belly.

Sitting back on his knees once more he dips the cloth into the surprisingly warm water. Shifting slightly he sets the water bowl down just beyond the pillows where he found it. Looking up at her, Harry begins to carefully clean away the proof of her newly lost innocence. As he works he kisses her knee a time or two, reaching out and using his hand to spread her lips, making sure to clean her thoroughly.

As soon as he was done he dropped the rag back into the bowl and lay down beside her, pulling her back into his arms. Smiling as she came to him willingly, he pressed a kiss to her temple. "Are you alright?" Harry inquired softly, his hands playing gently up and down her spine.

"Better than fine Harry..." Hermione replied. "I've never felt like this before..." she said into his chest. "So full and happy and just...right."

"Me either..." Harry said, one of his hands reaching out and pulling her leg back up over his hip. "I never want this to end." He admitted. The feeling he'd gotten as he took her, knowing that he was the only one to have ever been inside her. It was a heady thing and he didn't know if he wanted to share that. He'd thought he had felt something for Ginny, but that was nothing compared to the feeling he had at that moment, there with Hermione wrapped in his arms. "I want you..." He whispered against her hair.

"Harry I..." she started, stopped, cleared her throat, and tried again. "I don't want this feeling to end." She said. "I've never felt so... alive. So beautiful, as I do right now." Harry smiled at her words, loving the way she nuzzled his chest softly.

"Hermione, you are beautiful..." Harry said gently, reaching up and tipping her head up to press a soft kiss to her lips. "I have never seen anyone so beautiful. I only wish I'd taken a moment to see it sooner." Another gentle kiss. "Please say you'll be mine, I don't think I could bear the thought of anyone else touching you the way I have."

"Oh Harry..." She said, his name a soft moan. "Yes... " Whatever else she was about to say was cut off as he claimed her mouth in another searing kiss.

They didn't leave the Room of Requirement that night... or for three nights after that. They lay among the pillows just talking, touching, getting to know each other's bodies as intimately as they had known each other's minds for so long.

That was the night that Harry fell, completely and wholeheartedly, in love with his best friend.


	2. Chapter 2

Three days after the scene in the common room Harry and Hermione finally emerged. They had never really intended to be gone so long, hadn't meant to hide away as they had. Time had just seemed to slow in that room, with only the two of them there. The Room of Requirement had supplied all they needed, at times before they even knew they needed it.

They had been so wrapped up in each other they hadn't even given the rest of the world a second thought. Quidditch had not even crossed Harry's mind and Hermione had not once lamented the absence of books.

The two young Gryffindors had lay here, exploring each other's bodies; kissing, touching, and the occasional lick had been their whole world for that span of time.

Harry smiled as he looked down at the brown haired witch sleeping on his bare chest. They hadn't bothered with dressing after that first time, something Harry had definitely taken no issue with. He looked down Hermione's lithe body, taking in her soft cures, the swell of her lovely backside. The raven haired teenager could not get enough of the girl's body, laying there gently caressing his fingertips up and down her spine as he held her. A soft glow filled his chest as he let his eyes wonder over her exposed flesh, relishing in the fact that she was now his.

He had once, not so long ago, thought that he had loved Ginny, and he had been wrong. As time had passed in this happy little bubble of theirs, Harry had realized that Hermione had always been there, she had claimed a piece of his heart, even before he knew in his mind, his heart had known. He came to the realization that he had loved Hermione for a while now, that she had been the one that he wanted, the one that he needed. She was the one person he had always been the most open with, the one he had shared everything with. This beautiful brunette in his arms knew him, all of him; she knew things he had never even dared mention to Ronald.

Hermione had been the one constant in his life, the only person that had been there through every trial and tribulation. She, with her wholly good soul, had seen him through every failure and triumph. She had been the one to pull him back together in the face of Sirius' death. No one else had been willing to be his rock; he was Harry Potter, strong savior of the wizarding world. People thought he should push the hurt aside and go on; Hermione alone had seen the devastation in Harry's heart and eyes as he floundered to cope with such a catastrophic loss. She had been the first person since his mother to hold him as he cried.

Laying here, his arms wrapped around her beautiful body, her leg wrapped around him, he felt complete and content for the first time in his life. He had thought that he would never truly feel this at peace, especially after the loss of his godfather. Sirius had been the only person he had ever truly loved, or so he thought. He now understood that the bond he had with Hermione was a different type of love, one that had grown out of years of friendship, a friendship that had withstood the test of so much heartache.

In a way he was saddened by the time he had wasted pining over an emotion for someone else, an emotion his own mind had created to save him from the disaster falling for his best friend could have been had the feelings not been returned.

Reaching up with his other hand, he gently brushed his fingertips over Hermione's cheek as she slept, the soft smile she graced him with in her sleep at his touch warming his heart.

Before this he had been losing faith, losing the hope he had for victory in this unending and seemingly impossible war. Harry, the Savior, had been a hair's breadth away from washing his hands of it all. Of disappearing from the public eye and letting the world burn. He now had a reason. An actual, tangible, reason to keep fighting the terror of Voldemort. He would do anything, be anything, survive anything to protect the girl wrapped safely in his arms. He would fight with every breath in his body to protect her.

He would have done anything to protect her before, but now... Now she was the most important thing in his whole world. He had been so alone for so long, even surrounded by friends, he had felt as though he was alone and untouched by others. Now he had been touched, his life had been changed.

The need to protect Hermione was a visceral, touchable, vital thing. The thought of her being harmed tore at his insides like a wild beast. There was no grey area, no moral code, he realized, where she was concerned. There was no Light or Dark, there was only survival and protection to him now. There was only the need to keep this new found feeling of peace intact. No lengths were too far now, nothing too low as long as it would defeat the Dark Lord.

'If necessary' Harry thought to himself, 'I will use the same level of depravity to bring Voldemort to his death.'

Intellectually, the raven haired Gryffindor knew that he should fear for his own sanity and goodness. Emotionally, goodness and sanity were relative terms that held no sway. He had lost every person he had ever loved, Hermione would never be another casualty in the raging war that consumed the entirety of his life.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry looked across the table at Hermione, smiling softly as he caught her eyes. Their time in the Room of Requirement still something special to the both of them, and something they had refused to talk about with anyone else. The green-eyed teen could still remember the backlash they had walked into once they had left the warm safety of their haven.

The two Gryffindors walked into their common room holding hands and talking silently, unaware of the effect their appearance had on the room. For once complete and utter silence reigned, it was as if the castle herself had taken a deep breath for the impending impact.

The first indication that either of them had to the frozen state of their peers was the sound of a chair falling over. The crash of the wooden back hitting the floor rang throughout the quiet common room.

With a jolt at the loud sound, the two looked up in surprise, finally taking note of the expressions on the faces of those closest to them; ranging from shock, relief, and even anger on a few. The anger and relief were the most confusing.

Looking around the room Harry met Neville's eyes and saw something there he didn't expect. A look of relief so profound his friend's eyes were slightly misted over. 'Something is wrong...' Harry thought to himself as he held the mild-mannered Gryffindor's gaze.

Nevil had been one of the very few people who had stood beside him through everything. Neville, who with such a gentle soul couldn't even barely defend himself against Slytherins, had followed him into the Department of Mysteries and fought bravely beside him. Neville, sweet, kind, loyal Nevil, looked as though he was looking at a dead man.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, breaking the strained silence that occupied the Lion's Den.

"You're... you're alright..." Neville had said, his voice so soft it was as though he feared if he spoke any louder Harry and Hermione would disappear.

"Yes, Neville, we're just fine." Harry said, his bright green eyes dimming slightly in confusion. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"You've been gone mate." The round-faced boy said as though it was obvious. "You've both been missing for days. The whole castle has been in an uproar. Everyone has been looking for you, Harry. Not even Dumbledore could find you, he said that something had happened to the castle; it went silent is what the Headmaster said." Looking to the side nervously before continuing, Neville said, "Everyone thought you had been taken to... to Him." He paled as he spoke, swallowing nervously. "We... we thought both of you had been taken."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other in confusion. The knew they had been in the Room of Requirement for a while, a day, two nights at the most... but days? Had they really been so lost in each other that time had ceased to exist? Hermione, as if reading Harry's thoughts, shrugged, a baffled look on her face swiftly replaced by the look of determination she had when she went into research mode. That determined face made Harry smile, a soft twitch of the lips only she would understand.

Harry turned his attention back to Neville, looking at the truth of what he said in those round eyes. Looking around the room, taking in each face in turn, he saw only confirmed what was told to them.

"Where have you been, Harry... Hermione...?" The shy boy in front of them asked.

"We were in the Room of Requirement..." Harry said, unwilling to reveal too much of their time there. It was personal and intimate and he wanted no one to encroach on the wonderful time the two had had together. "We left during the party after the Quidditch match. We just wanted to get away from the noise and relax a little." Harry said, avoiding the topic of just WHY they felt the need for escape. "We ended up there and fell asleep. We... we didn't realize so much time had passed." The raven-haired teen finished lamely.

"It was my fault." Hermione finally spoke up, seeing the look of disbelief and a little anger on a couple of faces, stepping forward and slightly in front of Harry, almost as if to shield him fro the backlash. "I got a letter from my parents." She said, squeezing Harry's hand discretely, as if to tell him to follow her lead. "With... with everything going on in the war and the return of You-Know-Who, they want to pull me out of school." She said, her voice perfectly portraying hurt. "I.. I can't leave school. You know me Neville, learning is my life. I was scared of losing this place and all of this knowledge. Harry took me away to calm me down and helped me write a letter reassuring my parents." She lied, so well that the teen in question almost believed her himself.

"Time in the Room of Requirement must work differently." Harry said, picking up the tale where she left off. "I asked it for a place where we could escape everything for a while and the war could just stop so we could think." He said, forcing a look of contrition on his face. "The castle must have taken me literally..." He finished, looking at Hermione.

When he looked back around the common room he saw that the anger and disbelief had faded to understanding and relief. They all knew how much Hermione valued knowledge and books. They knew the worst fate in life for the bushy haired witch would be to have all of her learning opportunities stripped from her. Pavarti actually sent a pitying look Hermione's way; the dark skinned girl had never understood Hermione's love of learning but even she knew how the other girl was.

"I'm just glad you're back..." Neville said, pulling the attention of the two at the door back to him. "We were so worried something terrible had happened."

"We're sorry we worried you all. It really was unintentional." Harry said. "Where is Ron?" he asked, realizing he hadn't seen the red-head in the room.

A look of pure disgust twisted Neville's usually happy face. "Won-Won and Lav-Lav are probably still attached at the mouth somewhere." he said, his voice holding nothing but contempt. Hermione was pleased to note that even Pavarti, Lavender's best friend looked a little green at the idea. Apparently no one in Gryffindor House was pleased with the new couple.

Neville looked behind Harry and Hermione at something and his eyes widened slightly, shooting Harry a fearful glance before a voice rang out directly behind him.

"Mr. Potter! Miss Granger!" came the sharp yell of Professor McGonegoll. Turning slowly to face her, both teens wanted to step back at the fury they could see burning in her gaze. "Come with me." She said in a short, clipped tone, whirling around and exiting through the portrait hole.

"Oh mate..." Neville said in a shaky voice. "I would not want to be you right now... she has been prowling the castle like a wounded lioness. Six Slytherins, three Ravenclaws, and a few Hufflepuffs have already been sentenced to several nights with Filch and Snape because of her mood."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other, gulping slightly before moving to follow their seemingly irate Head of House.


	4. Chapter 4

Harry finished his breakfast not long after Hermione had, reaching out, he took her hand as they walked toward the Entrance Hall. They had not told anyone about their time in the Room of Requirement but they didn't hide the change that time had made in them and in their relationship.

They were rarely appart, often seen holding hands or with Hermione's arm linked through his as they moved througout the school. The two young Gryffindors weren't as ostentatious with their feelings as Ron and Lavender were. In public, hand holding and the occasional arm wrapped around the girl's waist were about as much as the couple would display. Once or twice they had been seen to press a chaste kiss to the other's lips, but nothing more.

They were occasionally asked when they started dating, the two would just smile or laugh and say 'ages ago'. To them it was truth. They felt as though it had been ages. They had always been there, both had just been too affraid or too oblivious to see it.

The professors had been thrilled at the effect their relationship had on both teens.

Harry's marks had improved greatly, his homework had become not only of a higher quality, but much more legible. As well, his essays had become more thought out and structured, researched instead of just haphazardly thrown together.

His performance in his school work aside, he was much calmer and far less prone to acts of stupidity. He paid attention in his classes, did his assinments properly, and spent far less time in detention.

By quite the opposite, Hermione had loosened up and learned to have a bit more fun. She still studied hard and made top marks, but now she laughed freely and sincerely. She seemed as though she had finally relaxed from her far too tightly wound nerves and learned to live instead of just reading about living.

Both teens seemed to be more confident in themselves, more comfortable in their own skin.

The staff was truly please to finally see the two young Gryffindors acting their age. Hermione no longer spending her time balancing between having her nose stuffed in a book and attempting to be the voice of reason to two unruly teenage boys. They were very glad to see Harry finally applying himself to his work and not just on trouble and danger. He seemed truly happy and that was something no one was sure they had ever really seen on him before.

A month later and Harry was still amused, and slightly scared, by the talk, or more like lecture they had been forced to endure, with McGonegall. She had thoroughly torn them a new one. Chastising them for everything from missing days of classes, to making everyone worry, to disappearing from the castle without aproval. When Harry had pointed out that they never actually left the castle, merely been taken hostage by it, she didn't find it very amusing. They escaped punishment on the simple grounds that the Headmaster himself had not been able to locate them or access the Room of Requirement. Their tale that the castle had taken them and slowed down time was believed by all, with the population none the wiser to the actual events of those days.

Which suited both of them just fine. They were both very private people and were well aware that due to Harry's name, they would never have complete anonymity, however any scrap of privacy they could scrape up meant the world to them.

Ron had barely spoken to them since their reappearance. He was apparently angry that he had been left out of something and had demanded to know why he wasn't told about this letter (a letter which the brilliant witch had thought to forge just in case). Hermione had simply fixed him with a very pointed glare, an eyebrow raised and told him sardonically, "You were a bit busy with your tongue down Lav-Lav's throat at the time." The red-head had the decency to blush and look uncomfortable. He let the topic drop after that, but he seemed to avoid the two for the most part.

The school noticed the drifting appart of the Golden Trio, staff and student alike. A large number of the populous worried that something had happened, while the rest simply wrote the distance among them off to the two realizing finally that the one was just a distraction.

As Harry and Hermione made their way up to the library, they talked about the assignment they had been working on until late that night, days away from being due, but they wanted to have the weekend to themselves.

Rounding the corner Harry suddenly pulled his girlfriend into an empty classroom, pushing her against the door as he closed it, waving a hand and throwing up a silencing and locking charm.

"I have wanted to do this for hours..." He said hoarsely, pressing his lips against hers, his hands sliding along her sides.

"Mmm Harry, what..." Hermione gasped softly as the raven-haired teen kissed down her neck. "What if we're caught?" She asked, her hands sliding into his shaggy hair even as her words were a mild protest.

"Locked and silenced the room as soon as we came in." He said, slipping his hands beneath her uniform shirt and around behind her, pulling her body tight against his. "Looking at you and not touching you is getting harder and harder." He said, pressing his hips against hers, showing her the true meaning of his words.

The bushy-haired teen almost moaned in response, her head falling back slightly in pleasure. "Harry... Oh Harry... I need.." She mewled out softly.

"I know what you need..." He said, sliding his hands from beneath her shirt and down over the swell of her ass, squeezing it firmly as he ground his hips against hers, eliciting another soft sound. Suddenly he lifted her by his hands on her ass, pulling her up against him, her legs instinctively going around his waist. "Can I give you what you need? What we both need?"

"P-please Harry..." She whimpered softly, biting her lip as she felt his fingers knead at the globes of her ass.

Hearing her say yes was all he needed, he had been aching to have her for days, but work had taken precidence over play. Moving one of his hands, he reached down between them, tugging her damp panites aside and brushing his fingers along her wet slit, groaning at the feeling of her so hot and eager for him.

Leaning in, Harry caught her lips in a deep kiss as he teasingly slipped one finger into her wet folds. Pushing it in deep only to pull it out slowly and brush up over her clit. The boy repeated this over and over until she broke, throwing all restraint out the window. "Harry if you don't take me now I will hex you into next week!" She groaned out.

"Promise?" He asked, leaning down and biting lightly at her breast through her shirt as he unfastened his pants, pushing them down hastily.

"That is a blatant threat." She said, her words fading off into a moan at the feel of his mouth.

"I don't want to be in next week... I want to be in you..." He said and with one hard thrust, burried his entire length deep inside her, moaning loudly as her slit hugged him tightly. "Fuck, 'Mione..." He growled into her shoulder, doing his best to hold still and give her time to adjust when all he wanted to do was slam hard and fast, agian and again.

"Ha-Harry..." She gasped out, reveling in the way his larger than average member filled and stretched her tight walls. "M-more!" She called out, needing less than gentle treatment at the moment.

Harry nodded, beginning to move himeself in and out of her, slowly building to a fast hard pace. With one hard thrust, he bottomed out inside Hermione, causing her body to bow in pleasure, her inner walls clenching tight around him as she climaxed hard, coating him in her hot juices. He stilled inside her, leaning her body back against the door, pinning her there with his hips against hers, his cock still burried deep inside her. Reaching up, he took hold of her uniform shirt and pulled popping the buttons off without caring, needing to see more of her beautiful body.

Dipping his head down he teasingly took one of her nipples into his mouth, drawing out her climax and making her shudder and writhe on his cock. "Fuck, Harry! Don't stop!" Hermione called out for him, her hands fisting in his hair.

Harry began thrusting again, slow and teasing strokes at first, aiming only to drive her need for him higher and higher. As he slowly moved into her, his hands caressed and massaged her breasts, moving from one nipple to the other, licking and sucking softly. They had been rough, taken the edge off of the days they had been close but unable to touch. Now was about showing her just how beautiful she was.

The brunette rolled her hips down against his, meeting his slow, sensual pace, taking him deep into her overly sensitive body, every thrust sending sparks along her body.

Sliding her arms around Harry's neck, she pressed herself against him, shifting and rolling against his every movement. Feeling her respond so thoroughly sent the young raven mad. He needed more. He needed release. He needed her release with his.

Reaching down between them, Harry brushed his fingers over his girlfriend's clit, drawing a loud moan from her. He began thrusting harder and faster, continuing to rub her clit, moving his fingers against that sensitive nub harder and faster as well. Every moan of hers was music to his hears.

He could feel his realease pressing down on him.

Leaning in, he whispered into the girl's ear, "Cum for me baby..." As he gave a particularly hard thrust.

His words worked like magic on her body. At once, her tight slit clenched tighed around his cock, squeezing and pulsing around him. The sensation of her tight channel flooding around him was too much and he could no longer hold back. He exploded into her with a loud yell, pulsing into her as he filled her with all he had to offer.

Panting, Harry's knees gave out and to slow them, he leaned his hands against the door, sliding down to kneel, his cock still burried inside Hermione, hitting hard and deep one last time as they collided with the floor, causing both of them to groan loudly.

"Mmmm fuck..." the green-eyed teen said lazily, laying his head against her shoulder. "You will be the death of me Mione."

"I think that may be the other way around..." She replied in a shaky voice. "I don't think my legs will work."

"I'll just have to carry you." Harry said lovingly. "Once mine start working again." He added with a laugh.


	5. Chapter 5

Once again Harry found himself laying naked in the Room of Requirement, Hermione sprawled across him, one leg wrapped around him as she slept on his chest. The raven-haired Gryffindor knew that he should go back to sleep as well, but I couldn't. He cherished these moments; moments of pure peace where there was only his love and himself.

He took the opportunity to once again admire the curves of his girlfriend's body, his fingers brushing lightly over the thigh she had draped across his hip.

The last few months had been the happiest of his life. He never knew what it was to truly live before. He had spent the vast majority of his life in fear of one thing or another. While he knew there were still things to fear, still things that posed a threat, Harry could not find it within himself to worry. He now had faith that he would prevail.

As he lay there, this time the Room of Requirement had provided them with a bed, he thought back over the time since he and Hermione had disappeared. No one had seemed to be surprised that the two of them had become an item.

"Nah, it isn't surprising, mate." Neville had said one evening at dinner. "The two of you have been so in sync for years I knew it was only a matter of time..."

Hermione had blushed slightly at that and leaned against his shoulder, smiling at Neville.

Every day with Hermione seemed to heal something deep inside Harry. He still had bouts of self-doubt and days where the ghosts of his past haunted him, but those times were becoming less and less. The guilt the young man felt was lessening with each day as well.

At the moment, Harry's life was perfect he thought. There was nothing better than what he had with the beautiful girl in his arms. However Harry's life is never that easy, he knew that and even though he was so deleriously happy with Hermione, he knew that something was coming. He could feel it. He knew all the way down to his bones that something was about to change, and that scared him. His instincts were screaming at him to hide Hermione away and protect her. He could feel that whatever Mother Magic had in store would rock him to his very core. He could feel danger in the air and he had mentioned as much to Hermione. All she had said was that she knew something was coming, could see it in the tightness of his shoulders. The brunette had simply kissed him and told him that whatever was coming she would face with him.

Sliding his hand absent-mindedly up and down Hermione's back as he let his thoughts wonder over the possibilities of what was to come, she stirred.

"Harry, why aren't you sleeping?" She whispered groggily.

"Because winter is coming..." He replied softly, making her laugh softly.

"Too much television for you." She said, rising up to rest on her arm over him, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Then give me something else to do..." He said cheekily.

"Oh I will," She said, her voice lowering to a husky tone. "Even though one would think you would be sated after last night."

"Mmm last night was definitely amazing." Harry said, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. "But I can never get enough of you." He finished, pushing Hermione onto her back and leaning over her. "I swear you're some sort of drug to me." He whispered, brushing his lips along her neck. "It's like I can't breathe unless you're in my arms."

"Mmmm Harry." the witch breathed, a shudder running through her at his words. "Please..." She whispered, as his hand moved teasingly along her side.

Catching her lips in a deep kiss, Harry moved his hand up to cup her breast, brushing his thumb over her nipple. Moaning into his mouth, Hermione arched into his touch, her hips shifting slightly.

As the raven-haired male kissed her deeply, passionately, he continued to tease her, his hand massaging her breast, gently pinching her nipple until he had her panting and whimpering in need. "Please..." She begged softly when their kiss broke for air.

Nodding, he kissed down her neck, moving his mouth over the swell of her breast to her nipple, taking it into his mouth and suching lightly, his hand still tugging and teasing the other.

At the warmth of his mouth on her sensitive nipple, she moaned softly, her hands sliding along his shoulders.

"Mmm 'Mione, I want something..." He said, his voice rough with arousal. "Can I have it?" He asks.

"Anything..." Hermione replied without a secong thought, trusting him implicitly.

Moving himself to rest between her legs, Harry slowly began to kiss down her body, his hands sliding along her thighs. Stopping only when his face was level with her slit, he looked up at her, the blush staining her cheeks serving only to make his cock twitch. "I want to taste you." He whispered, his breath hot against her wet slit.

He held himself back from licking at her wetness, waiting on her permission for such an intimate act, his hot breath the only thing touching her.

After a second that seemed like an eternity, she nodded shyly and Harry silently thanked Merlin. He had been wanting this for so long, he just never wanted to push Hermione for something she may not want.

Leaning in, he gently licked along her slit, tasting her and groaning at the deliciously sweet flavor of her. Shifting himself to lay with his head between her legs, his arms wrapped around her thighs, his hands softly kneeding and massaging them.

Harry slid his tongue over her clit and smiled at the high pitched keening sound that came from her. Deciding he wanted to hear that again, he pressed his mouth over that sensitive nub, swirling his tongue around it, teasing her as his hands held her.

She tasted so good, he needed more, needed to taste all of her. Tilting his head, he licked along her slit once more, before sliding his tongue between her folds, pushing the tip of his tongue against her opening. Realizing his tongue was long enough, he gently pushed it into her, tasting her inside and moaning at the amazing flavor of her.

He looked up as he pulled his tongue from her slit, brushing it up over her clit and caught the look of pure pleasure on her face. He wanted to taste her climax, he needed her orgasm in his mouth. Doubling his efforts, he sucked gently at her clit, sliding a finger into her slit, pressing up against that perfect spot he had found.

He could feel her walls squeezing around his fingers as she got closer and closer to the edge. Wanting to push her over that edge, he slid a second finger into her, moving both in and out of her faster.

Her hips were bucking as he used his fingers and mouth on her, her hands digging into his hair. "Harry!" She screamed as she suddenly came appart, her juices soaking his fingers, pulling them out, he slid his tongue into her, moving his hand up to rub her clit and drag out her orgasm, wanting her juices on his tongue.

He moaned at the taste of her as she flooded onto his tongue, his cock painfully hard as she rode out her orgasm. "Mmmmm" He moaned against her slick lips. Pressing one last kiss to her clit, he moved up over her, rubbing his weeping cock teasingly against her mound.

"'Mione..." He whispered, kissing her neck before biting at it lightly. "You are so beautiful." He said, continuing nibbling at her neck. "You taste so good."

"Harry." She whimpered, sliding her hands up Harry's back. "Please." She said, rubbing herself up against him invitingly.

"Mine..." He whispered against her lips as he pushed his entire length into her tight sligh, dragging a loud yell from her.

"Always..." She whispered back, wrapping her legs around his waist as he began to pump in and out of her.

As that one word fell from her lips, all of the control Harry had over his actions fell away, pounding hard and fast into her accepting body. "Mione, let go..." He groaned as he held her hips, pushing deep into her. "Let me feel your fall." He growled into her ear, his long thick member pumping in and out of her.

His words pushed her that last distance, feeling her clench tight around him as she came, his body responding in kind, filling her with his essence, both of them almost screaming in pleasure. Neither of them noticed the light that surrounded them during their shared climax, nor the crackle of magic in the air.

Things had just changed and neither had seen the shifting of the tides or the ancient magics that had just altered the course of their shared future.


	6. Chapter 6

After their second stay in the Room of Requirement, which thankfully was not another extended disappearance, more and more changed with the young Gryffindor couple. The teachers began to notice how connected the two were. It was as though they subconsciously could feel the other, anticipate and know before the other moved and adjust accordingly. They would be in class and would shift, move or speak simultaneously. It was as though the two students had become one living, breathing being.

While those who noticed realized how good this could be for Harry, the boy who, time and again had lost everything; they also worried that this could be a bad thing, as the two students could become far too dependent on each other to the point where they were unable to function on their own. This possibility was something that Minerva McGonegoll mentioned to Fillius Flitwick as they sat side by side eating breakfast one morning.

"Filius, what if this... what ever it is with them, renders them unable to function as separate individuals?" The Head of Gryffindor asked.

"Minerva, I understand your concern for your Lions, but I assure you that is highly unlikely. Both of those students are too strong on their own to become so dependent on another. As much as it pains me to say this..." the small man said, looking sadly over at the pair, "Young Mister Potter has lost so much... He has had to become completely self-reliant. While I hate that he has had to endure so much in his short life, it has made him stronger than most adults I know."

"Harry has been put through more than his fair share of heartache." Minerva said in agreement.

"You are also forgetting that Miss Granger is a force to be reckoned with in her own right. That young muggleborn has a strong sense of what is right than most. She would not allow herself to become so reliant on another that she could not do for herself. And she would never allow Harry to become so. She's always been his voice of reason and I have no doubts that that will continue." Filius said with a soft smile for his students. "That witch will keep him moving, motivate him, but keep him his own person. She may support him but she would never let him become anything less than what he is." The Charms professor reassured his colleague.

"You're right Filius, I don't know what I was thinking." The Scottish woman said, shaking her head. "Those two are the most self-sufficient young people I have ever met, second only to those twin devils." She said with a laugh before becoming serious once more. "But something is coming Filius, I can feel it. I felt a shift in the flow of Magic herself last night. As though something big is coming into play." She said.

"Yes, I felt it too Minerva." Flitwick said with a nod. "It was as though all of magic took a deep breath in preparation for something. Though what that something is, I have no idea."

Watching the two students they had just been discussing, Minerva noticed something odd. Her young green-eyed lion had a look of distress as he held his girlfriend who looked a little under the weather.

Directing her colleague's attention to the two students watched as Harry stood and pulled Hermione up and wrapped an arm around her, leading her out of the Great Hall. "I do wonder what that is about?" She murmured under her breath.

Minerva did not like the idea that something was going on with one of her Gryffindors that she did not know about. How many situations could she have helped Harry avoid in the past if only she had paid better attention to the young man. So with that in mind, she bid goodbye to the small professor and followed her two favorite students out, hoping to find the cause of their unease.

As she almost caught up with them, she realized where they were, Harry was leading Hermione into the Room of Requirement and whispering into her ear softly.

Minerva's concern for her students skyrocketed when she saw the look of worry on Potter's face. The boy had been so relaxed and at ease the last few months. Had something happened? Had he seen something in his connection with Voldemort that had him distressed? She had thought he had gotten the hang of Occlumency enough to keep the foul man from his dreams and mind.

Just as she reached the door, hoping to follow them in, the door disappeared. She should have known that the castle would protect the occupants from discovery or interruption. She just hoped that when they emerged they would tell her the cause of their worry and upset.


	7. Chapter 7

Harry sat once more in the Room of Requirement with his girlfriend, though unlike all of their other excursions here, this was different. They were not running their hands over each other's bodies, worshiping and loving each other. This time he simply held Hermione as she was sick, over and over; brushing her hair back from her face and rubbing her back as she wretched. Once again the Room of Requirement had transferred into exactly what they needed. It was a dimly lit, cool room with a sink, shower, toilet, and tub in one end and a large, comfortable looking bed at the other. Currently Hermione was hovering over the toilet, reproducing her breakfast.

Harry was worried about her, his mind automatically going to the worst possible scenario. Had she been poisoned? Had she been cursed? Had she somehow touched a cursed object? He didn't know what to do or how to help her so he remained as he was comforting her and holding her through it.

Once it seemed as though she had expelled all that was possible, he flushed for her and closed the lid, turning her to sit on it as he asked the castle for something to clean her with, smiling as a rag appeared on the sink. Quickly, he wetted the rag in cold water and used it to carefully clean her face of all evidence of the past fifteen minutes. As he turned to rinse the rag he almost laughed, seeing a toothbrush and mouthwash sitting on the edge of the sink. 'Thank you, Hogwarts.' He thought silently, wetting the toothbrush and applying the toothpaste before handing it to the brunette. "Here, this'll help you get rid of the taste." He said softly, kissing her forehead reassuringly.

"I don't know what came over me Harry." She said after she leaned over, spitting into the sink and rinsing both sink and mouth. "It was as though once I finished eating my stomach decided that it couldn't handle the eggs." She said shaking her head and leaning against her boyfriend.

"I wonder what could cause that." He said, his voice laced with concern as he wrapped his arms around her, holding the girl close to him.

"When I was a small child I was allergic to eggs, but I had grown out of that." Hermione aid shakily.

"Maybe that allergy has just come back." Harry said softly, rubbing her back in soothing circles. "Avoid eggs for a few days and see how things go?" He questioned gently.

The brunette nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a good idea. I really don't relish going through this again."

Harry nodded. "I hate seeing you sick. I wish there was more that I could do." He said affectionately, reaching up and brushing her hair behind her ear.

Pulling away he took her hand and led her to the bed, gently stripping her before lifting her into his arms and laying her down carefully. Once she was settled, he quickly divested himself of his own uniform and climbed in bed with her, pulling her close. "I just need to hold you." He whispered into her ear, nuzzling her gently. "I need to feel you safe in my arms for just a little bit."

She smiled, leaning up and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "Wrapped up in your arms is the only time I truly feel safe." She said, her face open and honest, no sign of shame or embarrassment.

They nodded off wrapped up in each other's arms, a smile on their faces. An hour later they were roused by a small house elf looking very anxious at being sent to wake the couple.

"Professor McGonegoll is being asking for Mister Harry Potter Sir and Missy Hermione Granger to be in her office now." The tiny elf said, wringing her apron in her hands nervously.

"Thank you, ummm… What is your name?" Harry asked before Hermione could get riled up about the rights of elves and her S.P.E.W. views.

"I is being Mopsey, Mister Harry Potter Sir." The little elf said, slightly relieved not to be punished for waking them.

"Thank you Mopsey, we will be right there." Harry said, dismissing the little elf as quickly as possible, knowing perfectly well that Hermione disapproved of houselves and what she thought they stood for.

Once the little elf was gone, he kissed the top of Hermione's head and slid out from under the covers. "Let's get this over with, we still have to more classes today." He said reaching for his trousers. "How are you feeling now?" He asked, concern etch3ed over his face.

"Much better, Harry, thank you. A nap and cuddles was exactly what I needed." The girl replied with an adoring smile, reaching for her own uniform.

Twenty minutes later found them sitting in their Head of House's office, accepting tea.

"Now," the stern woman said, taking a sip of her own tea, "while skipping class is never desired, I noticed you were unwell this morning. Are you feeling better?" She asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

"Yes Professor." Hermione said, clearly confused as to how her teacher had known she had been sick.

"I'm very glad to hear that. I saw you leave the Great Hall looking very green this morning." The Scottish woman said, seeing their confusion. "Have you any idea what caused you to feel ill?" She asked gently.

"I'm not sure Professor." Hermione answered. "I had eaten some eggs for breakfast and I think that was it." She said with a shrug, at seeing her Head's lack on understanding she elaborated. "As a child I was allergic to them but had seemed to grow out of it, it seems as though the sensitivity to them has returned."

"Ah, well while I hate to hear of your allergy and discomfort, I am glad that it is nothing more serious." The older woman said, relief evident in her voice, she too had been worried that maybe Hermione had been targeted due to the combined statuses as Harry Potter's girlfriend and a Muggleborn.

After finishing their tea they were dismissed from Professor McGonegoll's office and sent off to lunch before their afternoon classes. Thankfully as Hermione ate there was not a repeat of that morning's events, though Hermione did seemed to be starving. No wonder, seeing as she had been unable to keep anything she had eaten down. So as they sat at the lunch table eating she ate with gusto, finishing off two chicken salad sandwiches and a bowl of fruit.

Harry watched her eat, happy that she seemed to be over whatever it was that caused her to be sick that morning. Unknown to him, they both sat reflecting on the morning's events.

In the time they had spent together Hermione had grown into herself, become more confident and sure of herself. She could finally see herself through Harry's eyes and she could see how beautiful she was to him. She could see his love for her in everything he did; from the soft touches and gentle kisses, to the way he cared for her and grounded her when she needed it.

She could see the woman she had become reflected in his eyes; gone was the awkward and bossy little girl she had been, replaced by a woman that was special enough to have caught the heart and eyes of the best man she had ever known.

Harry had also changed, able to see himself as his girlfriend saw him. He had finally found someone that saw who he really was. He was human, fallible and imperfect. He was not a weapon, he was not the Savior, he was Harry. Just Harry. He saw that while she knew he would fall, she didn't expect or wait for it, and would simply help him up and help in move on. She didn't expect perfection or some great act of heroism, she just expected him to live. He could see in her eyes, the way she looked at him, smiled that special smile just for him, that she loved him.

She had given him the only thing he had ever wanted. She had given him a family; she was his family now.

And in that moment it hit him, like a ton of bricks. He felt as though someone had punched him in the gut. His entire body tensed as he watched her eat a strawberry, something that until now she hadn't been all to fond of. Part of him praying to the Gods, old and new, that he was wrong. Yet another part of him, a small part that had wanted this, even subconsciously, prayed he was right and the consequences be damned.

He knew what was wrong with Hermione that morning.


	8. Chapter 8

Harry sat there in the common room that night, Hermione tucked against his side with his arm around her, reading a book on Ancient Runes. He knew what had happened. He wasn't sure how he knew, but down deep inside, he was certain that his fears were correct. He had no clue how to go about making sure or telling his girlfriend his suspicions, but he knew with every fiber of his being that he was correct. He wasn't sure what the future held now, but the world had just become a hundred times more dangerous in his eyes. Everything seemed like a threat, every shadow seemed like an enemy, and he wasn't sure how to go on knowing what he knew.

He did know that at some point he would have to tell Hermione what he had figured out, he just hoped that she would come to the realization on her own, before he was required to say anything.

He absently rubbed his hand up and down his girlfriend's arm, taking a small amount of comfort in the fact that at least for now, she was safely by his side. Right in this moment he could protect her. He had no clue as to what tomorrow would bring and that terrified him.

Harry thought back over all of the years he had spent at Hogwarts, all of the adventures he had had, all of the danger he had been in all of the close calls he had had; the near death experiences and the deaths he had seen. This pattern could not continue. He had already been determined to do all to protect Hermione, but now… now the thought of anything happening to her was physically painful. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would not survive anything happening to her now.

As he sat there, holding the woman he loved and staring into the roaring flames in Gryffindor tower, he could feel himself changing, evolving. He could feel darkness seeping into his very soul as he realized just what all he would do to protect his little family now. Realizing the depths he would sink to in order to assure their survival was an eye-opening thing.

He knew that the deaths they had seen thus far were just the beginning. He knew that blood would be shed in the coming war and he would be damned if any of it was Hermione's. He could feel himself falling into a murderous, almost psychotic mindset. He was no longer participating in a war for the "greater good" he was not fighting for survival.

Dumbledore, he saw now, only wanted him to win a war so that the Light could continue in the direction the old man thought best.

Voldemort, he had always known was crazed; fighting for the purity of blood and segregation from Muggles.

Harry was willing to wage a war all his own to protect the girl in his arms. Maybe it was time the Neutral faction actually had a leader. Harry would be that leader. He was not going to be Dumbledore's Golden Boy any longer. He would not be a scapegoat. He would not be a lamb to the slaughter so that the Light could defeat a madman. He had more to life for. He had a life worth living now and he planned on living it to the fullest.

Dipping his head down, he pressed a kiss to the top of Hermione's head, breathing deeply of her scent, the sweet smell of her shampoo relaxing him like nothing else on earth was capable of. He knew what he would have to do. He knew that he would have to become more, stronger, more powerful.

Being self-aware as he was now that he was in a relationship with Hermione, he realized that this was how Voldemort started on his path to madness, but unlike him, Harry had someone to ground him. He didn't want the strength or power for the sake of his ego, he wanted it so that he could protect the family he had found, the new little family he had made for himself after a lifetime of loneliness. He didn't need recognition or faceless masses bowing to him in reverence, he simply wanted to keep Hermione safe. She had become his world, his everything, and if he had to split his soul to protect her, he would. He would bathe the world in blood if something should happen to this brilliant witch in his arms.

A part of him knew that he should be scared of this new resolve to sink to such evil levels, but he felt no fear, no reservations; all he felt was a grim determination to do what he felt was necessary.

A small voice in his head wondered what his parents would think if they were alive for him to confide these thoughts and feelings in. He wondered if they would hate him for being willing to go to such lengths. He wondered if they would understand his need to keep his family safe.

He knew that Sirius hated all things Dark; so much that he had run from his own family and been disowned to escape the cycle of service to the Dark Lord. He knew that Sirius would not be understanding and would insist that there was a better way to go about things. While he had definitely been a prankster, he was not capable of true depravity. He would have loved for Sirius to have been there to maybe give opinions on alternatives, to try to find other ways and support him without fail.

He wished so many things could be different but he couldn't bring himself to worry about the hate or understanding of the dead. They were gone and there was no changing that. Hermione was here and he COULD keep her alive. That was all that mattered.

Shaking his head he pulled himself from his inner musings, looking down at the sweet girl that he had fallen in love with. "How are you feeling?" He asked gently, inconspicuously sliding a hand over her stomach, referencing the morning's illness.

"I'm fine Harry." She said, her voice laced with a hint of exasperation. The over-protective boy had asked her the same question every hour, almost on the hour, all day. While she loved him deeply and loved that he was so concerned, it was beginning to wear of her nerves. After all, there were only so many times a person could answer the same question again and again without becoming irritated. "I promise, if that changes, you shall be the first to know." She said, lovingly, patting his hand on her stomach.

"I know, 'Mione." He said, sighing softly. "I'm sorry I've been a little…."

"Obsessive…?" She offered innocently when he seemed to attempt to find the right word.

"Yes, that." He said with a laugh. "I just love you so much…" He said, his heart blazing in his emerald eyes.

"I love you too, Harry." She replied gently. "With all of my heart." Smiling, the brunette kissed her boyfriend's lips lovingly.

"There you two are." Came a voice they both new well.

Looking up at the person that had spoken, they came face to face with the other third of the so-called 'Golden Trio' that had been absent lately, and he looked anything but pleased.


	9. Chapter 9

"Hey Ron." said Harry, watching him warily. The look on Ron's face made him anxious.

The red-head stood there looking back and forth between the two people who had been his best friends for years, not sure how to say what he was feeling, not happy with how things had been between them lately.

"Oh, so you can see me now?" he finally said, his tone laced heavily with sarcasm.

"Yes…" Hermione said, raising an eyebrow at the way the other bot had spoken. "Why wouldn't we?"

"Oh I don't know." Ron said, scowling at the pair still sitting cuddled up together on the couch. "You haven't seemed to see me at all the last few months. Too wrapped up in whatever the hell this is." He said motioning to the pair of them.

"What are you talking about Ron?" Harry asked, tilting his head, affecting a look of confusion while inside he was steeling himself for a fight. He knew Ron, he knew what that look on his face meant; that stiff set to his shoulders and the balled fists. Ron was spoiling for a fight.

"Ron, we've been busy studying. I've been helping Harry get caught up in his classes and doing extra work to bring his grades up." She said, in a tone one would use on a very slow child.

"I know, you're always in the library. What if I wanted help too? Are you willing to help me with my grades the same as you help him?" Ron said brusquely.

"If you asked, yes." The brunette said, looking at Ron as though he had lost a few marbles. "And you've been busy with Lavender…" She said as diplomatically as possibly.

"Yeah well…" The youngest Weasley male blustered. You don't drop your friends, or friend," he emphasized "just because you start dating someone."

"There again, you're the one who dropped us." Harry said sardonically. "You've been attached at the mouth and… other places… with Lav-Lav and hadn't spared us a single thought until now." He finished, raising an eyebrow as if daring Ron to say different.

The red-head blushed, sending Harry a glare. "Oh and you two haven't been busy on your own?" He said peevishly. Turning his attention back to Hermione, he pulled a face before opening his mouth once more. "So that means if I ask, you'll help me the way you help him?" He said, putting emphasis on the word 'help' in such a way as to imply that there would be less clothing involved.

A loud, slightly wet crack resonated throughout the common room, which had gone silent, the whole of Gryffindor house watching with bated breath as the blundering red-head got himself into more trouble than he could handle.

Before Ron knew what had even happened he was on the ground, Harry straddling his stomach with one hand around his throat and the other pointing a wand at his face.

One look at the murderous look on Harry's face held everyone in place. No one had ever seen Harry react so violently to anything, let alone have that violence directed at one of the precious Golden Trio. They knew that Harry was a force to be reckoned with, but this… this was new.

Ron lay there, staring up at the boy who had been his best friend, shaking in fear at the dangerous glint in his eye. As blood pooled in his mouth and ran down from his nose he was almost gagging on his own blood.

He knew had gone too far with the disparaging remarks to Hermione, had known as they came out of his mouth, but for some reason he had been unable to stop himself. He had watched them for weeks, seen how they had been together; both flourishing in this new relationship, becoming better and happier people. All of this had been done without him and he had felt excluded and unwanted. While it was true, he had been dating Lavender brown, in the back of his mind he had always fancied Hermione, so much that he thought they would end up together. Harry had never seemed interested in her and had Ron had seen the way he had looked at Ginny. He had never in his wildest dreams thought that his two best friends would end up together. Hermione was supposed to be his… or so he had thought.

"I would suggest," Harry said quietly, his voice like ice and steel, "that you remove yourself from my sight and stay… the fuck… away… from Hermione." The raven-haired Gryffindor said, the calm in his voice more frightening than if he had been screaming. "Next time you disrespect her like that, you will see exactly why Voldemort fears me." He said, the flinch at the name giving him a sick sort of pleasure.

Almost as quickly as he had pinned the other boy, harry rose, fluidly and gracefully. Looking around at his housemates who were still frozen in shock at the scene they had just witnessed, he caught sight of Dean and Seamus. "Get him out of here." He said to them before turning to Hermione and taking her by the hand, leading her out of Gryffindor tower and through the castle, uncaring that is was well after curfew.

Hermione, while concerned, knew when to push Harry and when to let him go until he was ready to talk. She had seen the death in his eyes at Ron's stupid words and knew that now was not the time to push. While she had no worry that her boyfriend would harm her, she knew that he wasn't ready to speak.

Twenty minutes later found them inside the Room of Requirement. The minute the door had closed behind them, Harry had pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her, his head laying on her head. She knew what he needed; to feel here there, safe in his arms, unreachable and untouchable. And so she let him have it; letting him hold her close and reassure himself that she was alright. After a few moments he pulled away and pulled her toward the bed in the center of the room that the castle had provided. Slowly he stripped her and took his time worshiping her body. Hours he spent just touching, kissing, and licking every inch of her body before he took her. Slowly he breached her, sliding all of himself deep into her, filling her with himself and all that he had to offer.

When he finally rolled over onto his back and pulled her close they both were exhausted and more than sated. She wanted to talk about the scene in the common room but now was not the time. She knew that they would discuss it in the morning and that was enough. Right now all she wanted was to surrender to Morpheus' call, held in the arms of her lover. And so she did. They both did.


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning Harry woke early, smiling as he saw the way Hermione was wrapped around him, clinging to him in her sleep. He loved this time of day, when it was just the two of them and stress of the previous day was a distant memory and the coming day's events had yet to start. He felt a sense of peace in this time of day, here in this bed, with this woman. His woman.

And then, as that thought flitted through his head, the scene in the common room came back to him. Part of him couldn't believe that Ron had been so stupid as to say something like that. Part of him realized that Ron was an imbicile and would forever get himself into trouble by opening his mouth.

He knew that he would have to talk to Hermione when she woke, she would want to know why he had reacted so violently to the words of a moron; especially since that moron had been their best friend.

Sighing softly, secure in the knowledge that Hermione would rather face things head on than avoid them, he kissed her head softly. "Time to wake up, beautiful." Harry whispered, running a hand up her bare back.

"Hmmm?" She murmured, nuzzling into his chest, causing him to laugh softly.

"It's morning." He said, coaxing the girl in his arms to wakefulness. "I thought that we could have a nice breakfast in here before classes."

"No eggs?" the brunette asked sleepily.

"No, no eggs, love." Harry said, fighting a laugh at how absolutely adorable she was.

"Mkay…" she said, pulling herself up into a sitting position. "And don't think you're off the hook after last night." She said as she stretched.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He replied, watching her body as she stretched, the arching of her back doing interesting things to his groin. "On second thought…" He said huskily, moving closer to her. "I might just eat you for breakfast." He said teasingly before taking one of her nipples into his mouth.

A soft moan escaped her lips as she slid her hands into his hair, biting her bottom lip softly. "Mmm and her I thought you had your fill of me last night." She whispered teasingly, her fingers working their way over his scalp.

"Mmm 'Mione." He said, releasing her nipple with a soft pop. "I'll never get enough of you." Taking her nipple back into his mouth he swirled his tongue around it teasingly. Looking up into her eyes as he sucked and licked at her sensitive flesh, he reached up, taking the other breast into his hand, teasing her nipple between his fingers.

Those words, said low and husky, almost growling with need sent a shiver up the girl's spine.

Harry smiled as he felt her shudder under his ministrations. Gently, he pushed her back, laying her down once more. With one last, hard suck he released her nipple and began to work up. With gentle kisses and teasing licks he moved up over the swell of her breast, biting lightly at her collar bone before continuing up her neck. He stopped for just a moment to nip at her earlobe before kissing along her jaw. Finally, reaching his destination, he kissed her lips; gently at first, showing her all the care he had for her. Soon, though, he lost the battle of wills and their sweet kiss descended into a battle of lips and tongues, pouring all of the passion they both felt into that connection.

Harry shifted to lay between her legs, his need for her evident, his cock pressing against her wet slit, teasing both of them. Then Hermione shifted against him, rubbing herself up against him and his self-control snapped. Reaching down between them, he took hold of himself, teasingly rubbing the head of his length along her wet lower lips, brushing over her clit and drawing a moan from her lips.

"What do you want?" He asked teasingly, just barely pushing the tip into her before withdrawing and once again teasing her with the sliding against her lips.

"Please…. Please Harry?" She begged, body trembling with need.

"Please what?" He asked, dipping his head down to bite at her neck gently as his cock once again brushed against her clit.

"Please take me!" She begged, shifting her hips up against his, asking with body and words for what she so desperately needed. Tilting her head to the side, giving him better access, she whispered the words he needed to hear. "Please Harry, make love to me."

"Your wish is my command." He whispered as he slid into her, sheathing himself fully in her warm body.

A ragged moan fell from Hermione's lips, her head falling back in pleasure as she felt herself filled with his member, her inner walls stretching deliciously to accommodate his large size.

He took his time, slowly working himself in and out of her. This was not a rough mating; not a fast, need-fueled fuck. This was a slow burning passion. He needed her, needed all of her; need to show her the depth of what he felt and the sincerity of how she affected him.

He took her as she asked. He made love to her, deeply, passionately, slowly savoring each touch and each thrust into her accepting body.

Soon he felt the telltale sign that she was nearing the end, he could feel her slit tightening around him, pulsing as he pushed himself into her again and again. That knowledge sent him closer to the edge himself. He needed this, needed to feel her fall apart around him.

Reaching down between them once more, he brushed his thumb over her clit, rubbing it in slow, lazy circles as he continued to move in and out of her.

This touch was almost too much for her. A scream tore from her throat as she climaxed, her inner walls clenching tight around his cock, squeezing and pulsing as they both rode out her orgasm.

Feeling her like this was too much for him to handle, his end following hers as he spilled himself deep inside her, filling her with his essence; marking her, once again, as his and only his.


	11. Chapter 11

week had passed since all of the pieces had clicked together in Harry's mind; the eggs, the strawberries, and most recently Hermione's disgust with Harry's shampoo. He had known it was true the moment he saw all of the symptoms clearly but he had doubted himself. Surely, with all that had happened in his life this wouldn't be possible. He had thought that perhaps his biggest secret; the deepest desire he had was playing tricks on him. He thought that because he had secretly wanted something so badly his mind had decided to see what it wanted to see. He had told himself countless reasons why his suspicions were wrong and it was all in his head, so he waited. He waited and watched, took note of every little change. He didn't want to say anything unless he was right, was scared of Hermione's reaction and didn't want to alarm her needlessly. The final piece of evidence he needed came one day when they were sitting in the library working on a particularly nasty essay for Potions.

They had just finished up the outline and where about to start actually writing the essay when the brunette slumped in her chair, her face a bit paler than usual. "Harry… just looking at the list of potion ingredients is enough to turn my stomach. I need to take a break from this." Nodding in understanding, he stood and moved around the table, turning Hermione in her seat and kneeling on the ground in front of her.

"Love…" Harry said gently, reaching up and stroking her cheek gently. "I think we should go see Madam Pomfrey."

"What? Why Harry? Are you alright? Is something wrong? Are you feeling ill?" the girl asked in rapid fire, reaching up to cup his cheek and feel his forehead as her brow creased in worry.

His heart squeezed at the amount of worry that showed on her face at even the idea of Harry being unwell. He had never before in his life felt so loved or so happy. Reaching up he gently touched her hands, pulling them from his face and lacing his fingers with hers. "No baby, I'm perfectly fine." He reassured her, scooting forward so that he was kneeling between her legs, leaning up and pressing a kiss to her lips gently. "But I worry that you aren't." He finished gently.

"What do you mean? I'm fine…" She said, though her voice hitched ever so slightly; no one but Harry, who knew her better than he knew himself, would pick up on it.

"Hermione…" He said softly, looking deeply into her eyes. "I love you…" Another kiss was softly given. "I've noticed things, things that add up to a specific conclusion." Yet another kiss, this time on her jawline, reassuring that he was still there and reinforcing the emotions he felt as he spoke.

Leaning back to look into her eyes once more, he saw the fear there. The anxiety she was clearly feeling written in the set of her shoulders and tightness around her eyes. Pulling one of his hands free from her grasp, which had steadily grown tighter, he slid along her leg and up, stopping to rest over her belly. Keeping eye contact, he gently caressed her stomach, asking with his eyes things he hadn't been able to find words for.

She sat frozen for a few moments before nodding, barely an incline of the head. Harry's heart stopped at that one small movement. He knew that he had been correct in his suspicions but he had been so scared, both that he would right and that he would be wrong, that he had forced himself to remain silent.

With that incline of her head, Hermione had changed the course of their lives and the war itself.


	12. Chapter 12

Harry could feel things shifting inside him. He felt as though molten steel was coursing through his very veins. He knew what this development could mean for them. The danger facing them, with that simple gesture, had increased a thousand fold. The green-eyed Gryffindor knew that the instant anyone on the opposing side found out about this new information, even more of a target would be on his girlfriend.

He was also wary of the so called Light. Harry trusted no one and nothing when it came to Hermione's safety. He had a feeling that the ones who were supposed to be on his side would use this as leverage to force him into action; force him to escalate the war ahead of schedule and keep him under their thumb.

Neither of these were acceptable to Harry. As far as he was concerned, the world could burn if it meant keeping his burgeoning family.

As he knelt there in the library facing Hermione, one hand still resting on her stomach, his other reaching up to cup her face, caressing along her bottom lip tenderly, he knew that the time for peace was over for them.

All hell would soon break and he would be pushed to do things that he never in his wildest dreams had thought he would be capable of before now. He knew blood would be spilled by his hands and a cold calmness settled around him as he accepted what this change would mean for them.

"I will protect you…" He whispered, looking up into her eyes, his own flashing with determination before softening drastically, his gaze falling to rest on his hand over her currently flat tummy. "…both of you." He finished in a gentle and barely audible voice.


	13. Chapter 13

A couple of days later found Harry and Hermione curled up together in an armchair near the fire in the Gryffindor common room. They had agreed that while they did need to consult a Medi-Witch, neither trusted the school matron not to run to Dumbledore with the news of this development. The couple wasn't sure who, if anyone they could trust. The thought that the people that were supposed to be on their side would use something that was supposed to bring joy as a means of controlling their "Savior" was a painful one to both of them.

Harry was determined to keep the two people he held most dear safe. Hermione was determined that what they had created would not be used as a pawn as her lover had been for so much of his life.

The raven-haired male tightened his arms around the girl, nuzzling into her dark brown locks. "Christmas holidays are coming up soon." He whispered for her ears alone. "We should look into finding a private Healer. One that we can trust."

Nodding in agreement, the brunette turned her head up to press a chaste kiss to Harry's lips. She knew him better than he even knew himself in some ways. This led to her ability to feel the tension in his body, even as he held her gently as though she was made of the finest china.

"Until then, I can look into the potions that may be needed and brew them myself." He continued as their lips parted. "I won't have the time we're forced to wait causing damage to either of you."

"Are you sure?" Hermione looked up at him, worry creasing her brow slightly. Much like her, Harry knew her better than anyone else. He could read the lines and shadows of her face as easily as if it were a book open only to him.

"I'm positive. My brewing has improved greatly these last few months." He reassured her. "I should be able to find what I need in the library and order any ingredients needed by owl." Pressing a light kiss to her neck, he slipped a hand down to stroke lightly over her flat belly as he had grown prone to doing as they sat together.

"I don't doubt your abilities." She said with a smile. "I just don't want to put any more stress on you." She whispered.

"It would stress me more to think that you going without necessary potions could cause damage to you… either of you." He said firmly. "I will take care of you." He finished, his words almost sounding like he was making her a solemn vow.

At that moment the portrait hole swung open and in stumbled Neville.

"Harry!" the round-faced boy gasped. "I'm glad you're here!" He said, bending over to rest his hands on his knees to support himself as he attempted to catch his breath. "Ron is on his way up."

"Okay…?" Harry said, the question as to the relevance of this statement clear in the tone of his voice.

"He…" Neville started but didn't quite finish before the portrait hole opened again, the red-head they had just been forewarned of stomping in.

As Ron's eyes landed on the two people who had once been his best friends, he almost snarled. "Well if it isn't the Golden Couple!" He sneered in a way reminiscent of Malfoy.

"What do you want Ronald?" Harry said in exasperation.

"From you, Potter? Not a thing." He almost spat, his eyes turning to Hermione. "I want a word with 'Mione." He said, his face flushed with what seemed to be anger. "Alone." He emphasized.

"Not likely…" Harry said, his arm tightening around his girlfriend reflexively and his eyes darkening dangerously. He didn't want to come to blows with Ron again, but he wouldn't back down. He had known this was coming since the underhanded comment Ron had made about getting Hermione's 'help'. The third to their supposed 'Golden Trio' had fallen into disgrace after that night. No one else in Gryffindor wanted much to do with him either from fear of Harry's temper or the simple fact that they thought he was scum. He had single-handedly gotten himself ostracized from his fellow lions and he had been licking his wounds ever since.

"Why don't you let her speak for herself?" Ron almost roared. "You don't fucking own her!"

"No Ronald, he doesn't own me." Hermione snapped out, her own eyes flashing dangerously. "He just knows me well enough to know that I wouldn't want to be alone with the likes of you." She finished with a huff.

"I said I wanted a word with you." Ron said before making a fatal mistake.

In his frustration and determination to get the girl off somewhere away from prying eyes he had reached out and taken ahold of her arm. "Come here!" He yelled, attempting to roughly pull her from the other boy's lap.

As Harry heard the pained yelp leave his girlfriend's lips as the redhead's grip dug painfully into the flesh of her upper arm he saw red. That one small sound, that one action would cost their former friend much more than his pride.

Without warning Harry lashed out, his hand wrapping around the other boys wrist as he slid himself out from beneath Hermione. He applied pressure to the nerves, forcing the hand to relax enough for him to pull her arm from the grip. Once she was freed he increased the strength of his hold as quickly as possible, twisting viciously until he heard a series of sickening pops and crunches. Ron howled in pain as his wrist was not only broken but the tendons torn.

"She said no you piece of shit." Harry snarled, his teeth bared as he held Ron up by his injured wrist. Locking eyes with the boy he let him see the malice in those deep green orbs before suddenly surging forward and bashing his head into Ron's face, shattering his nose.

Ron dropped but that didn't stop Harry. Keeping a tight hold on that mangled wrist he shoved the boy around, forcing his arm up his back hard and fast until he heard a pop signaling the dislocation of a shoulder and possibly an elbow.

Leaning down to crouch behind Ron, the raven-haired teen whispered into his ear. "You're getting off easy." He stated, his breath ghosting menacingly down Ron's neck. "If you ever lay your fucking hands on Hermione again I will gut your worthless carcass and toss you out for Aragog and his children." Harry continued. "Do I make myself abundantly clear?" He asked only to receive a panicked nod from the boy.

"Good." Harry said, giving the broken wrist one last cruel squeeze before using it to shove him away. The smell of urine permeated the Common Room and all that could be hear was the panting and sobbing of the injured Gryffindor on the floor.

No one moved to help Ron, no one even dared to breathe too loudly. No one had ever seen Harry in such a state, they had never seen him go so far. Sure there had been scuffles with the Slytherins over the years but nothing like this. The attack on the redhead had been swift and brutal with no trace of remorse showing on the pale features of the boy standing there, his aura radiating anger and his magic crackling in the air.

Ginny had seen the whole ordeal and while Ron was her brother and she should feel for him, she knew better than to cross Harry. Hermione was his and the moment that her brother had touched her he had almost invited the boy to harm him. The youngest Weasley had heard her brother's grumblings about the couple and about how they had tossed him aside; how they had turned the whole of their house against him and he would have to deal with them. She didn't know what he had had in mind when he demanded to speak with the bushy haired girl but she had known from the moment Ronald had open his mouth that this interaction would end very badly. If she was honest, if only with herself, she was almost surprised that her brother was still conscious and breathing. She was thankful Harry hadn't done worse damage because while Ron was a fool, he was still her brother.

Looking over to Harry almost pleadingly as he met her eyes he nodded curtly to her. "Ginny take him. Get his sniveling ass out of my sight." He snarled.

Nodding nervously she moved forward and grabbed her Ron by the bicep of his uninjured arm. "Up you moron. Get up!" She hissed. "You're lucky to be alive, don't push his patience." She said under her breath as she got him to his feet and hauled him out of the common room and toward the infirmary.

With a sigh, Harry seemed to slump slightly, turning and reaching out questioningly to Hermione. She moved into the circle of his arms without a moment's hesitation, burying her face into his chest. "I have to get you away from here." He whispered. "We're in as much danger here as out there."

"I know…" Hermione whispered against the folds of Harry's shirt. "We will leave tonight." She said, not needing to look up to see the agreement written all over the boy's face.

Everyone in the common room stood frozen, not daring to move lest they bring the boy's wrath down on them as well. None could hear the whispered conversation and none cared to.


	14. Chapter 14

The couple finally moved from their position in the center of the common room. They knew that as soon as Ron made it to the infirmary Professor McGonegall would be called and then the two of them would be pulled for questioning as to the incident. Both of them highly doubted that the shunned third of their trio would be truthful about the events of the evening. Indeed, they were fairly certain he would paint himself as the victim and say that the two of them had attacked him without provocation. Turning, Harry met Neville's eyes and nodded for him to follow as he laced his fingers with Hermione's and led her out of the common room.

Harry could feel his magic pulsing, knew they were running out of time to escape the castle. Something about Ron's behavior had been bothering Harry for a while now but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Knowing that time was of the essence he picked up the pace, leading the other two down one flight of stairs after another before finally coming to stand before that bare stretch of wall he knew hid the Room of Requirement. Pacing quickly he asked for a place to hide for a brief moment of time before leaving the castle.

As the doors appeared, the raven-haired teen quickly shoved them open, pulling in his girlfriend and holding the door open for Neville. As soon as all three had cleared the entrance, Harry slammed the doors shut and bolted them.

Looking around at the room Harry smiled as once again the castle had gone above and beyond. The Room of Requirement had transformed to look like a study with a love seat and chair facing each other in front of the fire. It was a warm and welcoming environment and the raven-haired teen silently thanked the castle for it. His nerves were absolutely shot and he needed to reign in his emotions and plan.

Meeting the eyes of the other two in turn, Harry moved forward still holding his girlfriend's hand and dropped down onto the loveseat, pulling her down with him and slipping an arm around her waist.

Taking his cue from his friends, Neville moved over to claim the chair across from the couple. The round-faced boy knew that there was a reason he was here but thought better than to push Harry for details.

The three sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts before Harry finally spoke, calling out for a house elf. "Dobby!" He said, looking the small elf over as he appeared.

"Yes Master Harry Potter Sir! What can Dobby be's doing for you?" The excitable creature asked animatedly.

"Dobby do you trust me?" Harry asked, making eye contact with the elf, his face impassive and distant.

The small creature almost looked affronted at the question. "Of course Master Harry Potter Sir!" he squeaked. "Dobby be trusting Harry Potter! Why would Mister Harry Potter Sir doubt Dobby?" the elf said, almost on the verge of tears.

"I need your help Dobby." Harry said by way of answer. "Hermione and I are in danger and we have to escape. We must leave here tonight and I am trusting you with the information of why but first I need you to go to Gryffindor tower and pack all of our belongings please." He continued, his face softening slightly. "Only you would I trust with this, Dobby. Our safety is in your hands. No one must know we are gone until we are far from here."

"Dobby will do as Mister Harry Potter Sir asks!" Squeaked the elf. "No one will know and Dobby will be making the beds look as Mister Harry Potter and Missy Mione is only be's sleepings." He said, bobbing up and down. "Dobby keeps the three ofs yous safe!" he squeaked causing Harry to almost flinch. He had forgotten that the house elves being of familial magic would know what had happened.

Neville looked at the little elf in confusion. Why was he in need of protection? Moving his gaze up to rest on his friends he raised an eyebrow in question as Dobby popped off to complete the request given to him.

"Neville…" Harry began, faltering with the actual words, knowing that anything he said could put his friend in a bad position. He didn't feel right asking the boy to keep their secret at his own risk. Looking into the earnest face of the fellow Gryffindor, the boy he had shared a dorm with for years… he knew that to keep him in the dark and run with no explanation given would hurt Neville more. He was a kind hearted and loyal person but he hated being seen as weak for it. Harry would not insult him with a lack of faith. "Hermione is pregnant…" He finished, his voice trailing off as he took in his friend's reaction. Hoping that his faith had not been misplaced.


	15. Chapter 15

Neville was shocked for a moment, his brain unable to process what had been said. His eyes locked with Harry's he saw the truth there. Looking to Hermione he could see the fear in her eyes and his heart clenched.

"And if Dumbledore or anyone loyal to him finds out he'll try to take the baby to use as leverage." The round-face Gryffindor said, his stomach churning at the thought. "And worse if Voldemort finds out, he'll try to kidnap or kill the baby to hurt Harry."

At the nod of his friends, a wave of need crashed over him; a need to protect his two dearest friends, the only two who had ever trusted or believed in him. "I'll come with you." The boy said, a hint of stony resolve could be heard in his voice.

"Neville, you can't…" Hermione started to say but was quickly cut off.

"I can and I will. I have to 'Mione." He said unwavering. "You both are in grave danger, especially you. The baby will drain your energy and magic and in a couple of months you won't be able to use magic. You will need help." Looking to Harry, Neville crossed his arms. "We all know you are exceptionally powerful, no one could ever doubt your abilities but two wands are better than one."

"All good points but we need eyes on the inside, we need someone we can trust to keep tabs on the Dumbledore and his Order." Harry said, worry lacing his every word.

"Luna." Said Hermione suddenly. "We can trust Luna implicitly, I've gotten to know her well over the last few months. She said something the other day and I didn't put much stock in it because… well she's Luna, but she knew we would be leaving."

"What did she say?" asked Harry, mild panic in his voice.

"She said that when the lions to retreat to their cave, the raven watches vigilantly, ready to caw at danger." The girl said as she replayed the conversation in her head. "We were just leaving Care of Magical Creatures and she was heading in, so I just put it down to her having read some muggle book on animals." She said with a shrug. "This must be what she meant. She's a Ravenclaw, their sigil is the raven. She basically laid out that she would watch out for us."

"I think you're right Hermione, we need to get Luna here." Reaching into his pocket, Harry pulled out the Marauder's map, and began looking for Luna's dot, snorting when he saw it right outside the Room in which they were currently hiding. "I should have known." He mumbled to himself. "Neville, will you open the door, she's right outside."

Doing as asked, the boy unlocked the door and pulled it open just far enough to peek out and see that the girl in question was indeed standing there with a look of serenity on her features. "May I come in?" She asked in her usual musical tones.

Nodding, Neville stood back and pulled the door open. The moment the door was wide enough for the petite blonde to slip inside he pushed the door closed and replaced the lock.

"Hello little lions." She practically sang to them.


	16. Chapter 16

"We need your help Luna." Harry said, his arms instinctively tightening around his girlfriend.

"Yes Harry." The small blonde girl said, nodding. "The eagle must keep watch over her lions." She said in her usual dreamy manner. Her eyes met Harry's and sharpened, wisdom beyond her years reflected there. "You need to leave and soon. Stay no longer than it takes to collect what is yours; to stay even until the morning would be a terrible miscalculation. The head of the pride is already on the hunt for the two of you."

"McGonegall." Hermione said softly, worry lacing that single word.

"Yes." Luna said. "But you must listen. Go directly to the goblins. There are things you need to be aware of, things that you will not believe of me but must see with your own eyes. Trust only Neville and the goblins outside of the castle. Take Dobby with you and keep him close. It is known that you hold affection for him and he would be killed to draw you out. While at Gringotts many new truths will be revealed to you but it is imperative that you do not linger there. Learn what you must, collect what you need, then go. You MUST be out of Diagon Alley by sunrise. Do you understand Harry?"

"Yes Luna, be gone from Diagon by sunrise." The boy replied.

"Exactly. Any longer and you will face exposure. Under no circumstances are you to go to Longbottom Manor as Neville's Gran would turn you over to the ministry." At that she paused only to send an apologetic look at the boy in question. "Stay away from Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore has traps all inside and about it and the wards are tied to him. You must go to the place of ancient snakes, of darkness and shadow. You will know it when you see it, it is in your blood if only you would have it tested and open yourself." She finished. "Hurry now, it is nearly twilight and you must be gone from this place before true night has set."

"Thank you Luna." Harry said, still trying to digest all that the blonde girl had said. "Dobby!"

With a loud crack the tiny elf appeared next to the coffee table. "Mister Harry Potter Sir! Dobby is being finished!" With a snap of his fingers two trunks appeared by the door. "Dobby is so happy to help Mister Harry Potter Sir!" the tiny creature squealed excitedly.

"Thank you for your help Dobby but I need a couple more things from you. Neville will be leaving with us, can you pack for him and fix his bed as well?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Oh Mister Harry Potter Sir! Dobby is being thinking yous Nevvie is leaving to and already dids his packing and his beds." And with another snap a third trunk appeared.

"Well done Dobby, thank you so much. Now, I have an offer for you." The raven-haired teen said anxiously. "I know you enjoy being a free elf but how would you like to be my elf? I would still give you one week off a month and your current wages, more if you wanted it. Soon there will be a baby and we are in danger, I need someone I can trust to help with the baby."

As Harry's words tumbled from his mouth, he could see the look on Dobby's face, tears started pouring from his bulbous eyes. "Oh Mister Harry Potter Sir! Dobby would bes honored to be your elf, Sir!"

"I'm so glad you accept Dobby." Harry said a relieved smile blossoming over his face. "How do I bind you to me, Dobby? I've heard that house elves are bound to their masters but never how."

Neville cleared his throat before Dobby could answer. "You have to bind with blood, Harry." He answered. "I know this is going to sound barbaric but to bind a new elf to a family, you have to slice open your palm and press it to their foreheads. They are magical creatures and it will absorb into them and your blood becomes part of theirs."

Harry blanched and looked down at Dobby, very well aware that his girlfriend was just short of seething next to him. He squeezed her hip, silently begging her to trust him. "Are you okay with that Dobby?"

"Master Harry Potter, yes!" The little elf squawked. "Dobby would be most honored to be bound to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter!"

At that Luna stepped forward, knife in hand. As she passed it to Harry she whispered. "Hurry! The shadows descend upon us. Do this and run to the goblins. They will handle all else."

Harry nodded, grasping the knife in his left hand and taking a deep breath. Quickly and firmly he sliced along his right palm, blood welling up over his skin. As quickly as possible he pressed his hand against the little elf's forehead. The moment blood douched leathery grey flesh magic swirled up around them, bright and pure, a visible sign of the binding. "I, Harry James Potter, bind thee Dobby with my blood. To serve me and my house all the days of your life until death take you or your master release you." As the words ended the glow faded and Harry could feel the blood that had been between their skin soak into the little creature. Slowly he pulled his hand back and wasn't really surprised to see the wound healed, leaving only a small scar.

"Thank you Master Harry Potter Sir." Dobby said, bowing deeply.

"Thank you Dobby. But now we must go. Can you please shrink the trunks? I will handle getting you a new uniform when we are safely away."

"Yes Master." The elf said happily.

Harry stood and moved over to Luna. "Be safe and stay quiet about your association. If they know they will hurt you to get to me." He said softly.

"I know what to do Harry. I will walk amongst the shadows and find those who will stand by you. Trust no one unless they come to you through me." She said sharply. "But now you must go big brother."

He smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head. "Be well little sister." He replied.

Turning back around he saw Dobby slip the last shrunken trunk into a pocked on his pillow case. "Dobby can you apparate the three of us to Gringotts?"

"Of course Master." He said excitedly, reaching out his arms. Neville and Hermione too his little hands and harry firmly wrapped a hand around his upper arm and just like that, they were gone from the Hogwarts grounds.


	17. Chapter 17

Arriving in the entrance of Gringotts had been more than a little interesting. Due to the late hour there had been no other wizards in the wizarding bank and the goblins did not seem so pleased with their sudden and unconventional arrival. The goblins closest to them were those standing guard, swords drawn before they even had a chance to speak.

"We seek sanctuary." Hermione said quickly, the only one among them to have paid much attention during History of Magic and having researched the customs of these small creatures in greater depth.

At her words the guards stopped, looking them over as if uncertain as to the truth of their words.

"We come to you humbly and with great need. We request sanctuary and aid in this hour." The brunette witch said solemnly, holding her hands out in a sign of peace, showing that she held no weapons and wished them no ill.

One of the guard goblins, the tallest of the six around them nodded, pushing his sword back into its sheath. "Then you shall have sanctuary. What aid is it you seek?"

At this Harry took over explanations. "We need to pull money from our accounts and secure them against all other parties previously having access to them. As well as blood testing for myself." He added the last, Luna's words having stuck a cord within him.

"Your account manager will be able to handle these things." The tall goblin said, motioning to one of the other goblins who turned and left. After a few moments the goblin returned and said something in gobbledygook to the tall one and he nodded. "Follow me."

Turning he left, the three Gryffindors and the house elf following him. He led them across the main floor of the bank and through a side door. The group, including two other guard goblins, continued down passage after passage until they reached an ornate door. "The head goblin has requested you come to him." He said gruffly and pushed the door open.

Upon entering Harry, Hermione, and Neville were in awe. While the main floor of the bank had been impressive it was nothing in comparison to this room. High vaulted ceilings covered in intricate designs Harry was sure were done in pure gold were amazing. The walls were lined with shelves of books and scrolls which he could practically feel his girlfriend itching to run to and see what sort of knowledge they contained.

"Ah, Heir Potter, Miss Granger, and Heir Longbottom." Said an aged goblin who was currently sat behind a large ornate desk scattered with papers. "I am Ragefist. I have been informed that you come to us this late evening seeking sanctuary and aid." At a nod from the three Gryffindors, he continued. "Sanctuary, you shall have and we can certainly provide the aid you seek, for a price of course."

"Of course." Replied Harry with a respectful incline of his head.

"I am told you wish to withdraw funds, secure and restrict accounts, as well as blood testing?" Ragefist inquired, picking up a quill and scribbling something on a spare bit of parchment.

"Yes, sir." Harry answered, careful to show the proper amount of respect.

The older goblin looked at the young raven for a few moments, his gaze seeming to bore straight into Harry's soul. "As you wish. First things first, blood testing. Normally we would do things the other way around but we have been attempting to contact you for some time about claiming your lordships. It seems all communications have gone unanswered. And while we will require payment for all blood testing and rituals, the issue of your lordships is more pressing."

"Lordships?" Harry asked in confusion. "I wasn't aware of any lordships. And I apologize but I have received no letters from Gringotts."

"Dumbledore…" growled Ragefist in mild disgust. "That would explain a great many things in relation to you and your accounts."

"What have my accounts to do with Dumbledore?" asked Harry, his confusion only building.

"He appointed himself as your magical guardian upon the passing of the previous Lord and Lady Potter." Ragefist said succinctly before turning to one of the goblins by the door and barking what seemed to be an order in gobeldygook. Turning back to the three teenagers standing before him, the goblin continued. "And yes, lordships. As the son of the late Lord James Potter, you are Heir to the Noble and Ancient House of Potter. Also, your godfather, Lord Sirius Black named you his heir in the event of his death."

Harry stood shocked, the hand in Hermione's squeezing in distress. "Why was I never told of any of this?" Harry questioned in a tight voice.

"Dumbledore has been sitting on the Wizengamot in your stead for years, gaining more power in his place as regent upon the death of your godfather." Ragefist answered honestly.

"We will do blood testing for inheritances as well as potions and spells. I have a feeling that the latter at least will yield interesting results if my idea of Dumbledore is accurate."

"Alright." Harry said, attempting to keep calm. "What do I have to do?"

Ragefist pulled three pieces of parchment out of a drawer of his desk, each with a slightly different sheen to them. "These have been each dipped into a different potion. One will show any magical effects currently in effect on your person." At this Ragefist pointed at the parchment on the right which had a slight green tint to it. "Another shows any inheritances left to you by any means, blood or magic." At this the center parchment, which had a barely noticeable blue sheen to it. "And the third will show a direct family tree spanning several generations, including both births and adoptions."

Harry nodded along as all of this was explained to him. "And you need my blood on these parchments, I'm assuming?" He asked, his cold mask firmly in place.

"Yes, three drops on each if you please." Ragefist said, handing him a small ceremonial blade that looked deadly sharp. "This blade is enchanted to heal the wound."

Taking a deep breath, Harry looked at both Hermione and Neville in turn. Upon receiving matching nods of encouragement, he stepped forward and took the blade, slicing his palm and letting the needed drops fall on the indicated parchments. The moment his life's blood touched the potion-soaked parchments, they gave off a gentle glow as inky words began to spread across each of them.

Once the ink settled into the parchment, all were silent as Harry read the words there. All that could be heard were a harsh "What the hell?"


	18. Chapter 18

Harry stood there in Ragefist's office, in utter shock as he stared down at the offending parchments. He wasn't sure which one was the worst to be honest. The spells and potions were concerning but not the most shocking. Nor was the embarrassingly long list of inheritances and properties. No, the truly shocking thing was that he was not Harry James Potter.

Reaching out, he picked up the parchment containing his family tree and stared. Trying to rationalize what he was reading.

**_Family Tree_ **

**_Birth Name: Corvus Antares Black_ **

****_Parents:  
Father: Regulus Arcturus Black - Deceased (James Charlus Potter via blood adoption - Deceased)  
Mother: Evangeline Guinevere Potter-Black - Deceased (Lily Josephine Potter nee Evans via blood adoption - Deceased)_

****_Grandparents:_  
Paternal Grandfather: Orion Black - Deceased (Fleamont Potter via blood adoption - Deceased)  
Paternal Grandmother: Walburga Black - Deceased (Euphemia Potter via blood adoption - Deceased)  
Maternal Grandfather: Fleamont Potter – Deceased  
Maternal Grandmother: Euphemia Potter - Deceased

**_Paternal Relatives:  
Sirius Orion Black (Uncle) - Deceased  
Narcissa Malfoy nee Black (1_ ** **_st_ ** **_cousin once removed)  
Lucius Malfoy (1_ ** **_st_ ** **_cousin once removed via marriage)  
Draco Malfoy (2_ ** **_nd_ ** **_cousin)  
Andromeda Tonks nee Black (1_ ** **_st_ ** **_cousin once removed)  
Theodore Tonks (1_ ** **_st_ ** **_cousin once removed via marriage)  
Nymphadora Tonks (2_ ** **_nd_ ** **_cousin)  
Bellatrix LeStrange nee Black (1_ ** **_st_ ** **_cousin once removed)  
Rodolphus LeStrange (1_ ** **_st_ ** ****_cousin once removed via marriage)_

**_Paternal Relatives via Blood Adoption:  
Evangeline Guinevere Black nee Potter (Aunt) - Deceased  
James Charlus Potter (Uncle) - Deceased  
Harry James Potter (1_ ** **_st_ ** ****_cousin) - Deceased_

**_Maternal Relatives:  
James Charlus Potter (Uncle) - Deceased  
Lily Josephine Potter nee Evans (Aunt via marriage) - Deceased  
Harry James Potter (1_ ** **_st_ ** ****_cousin) - Deceased_

**_Maternal Relatives via Blood Adoption:  
Petunia Jacqueline Dursley nee Evans (Aunt)  
Vernon Byron Dursley (Uncle via marriage)  
Dudley Byron Dursley (1_ ** **_st_ ** ****_cousin)_

He felt as though his world was turning upside down and inside out. His entire life had been a lie. All he could hear was ringing in his ears. His magic had begun swirling around him, crackling with agitation. He just continued to stare down at the words scrawled across the parchment. He had been lied to his entire life. His name wasn't even his name. How could this possibly have happened? He was a Black by birth. He was never Harry Potter. He was Corvus Antares Black, born of Regulus Black and... Evangeline Potter. Sirius, his beloved godfather, was actually his uncle.

As his thoughts raced, his magic began to condense, becoming an almost touchable wall of anger and confusion.

"How…." The young Gryffindor said, his voice shaking with barely controlled rage. "How did this happen?" Finally pulling his eyes away from the offending parchment, Harry looked up at the goblin, his green eyes luminous with power and rage. "How can this be real?"

"I am not certain, however rest assured that we here at Gringotts will not stop until we find the answers." Ragefist stated gravely. The goblin grabbed a quill and scribbled a note before motioning for one of the guards by the door to take it. Speaking quickly in gobeldygook before waving the guard off. "I am sending for the managers of the accounts and estates included in your inheritance." He said turning back to Harry "I  _will_  find answered." He finished venomously.

"Harry?" asked Neville softly, getting his friend's attention. "What is it?"

Silently, Harry passed the parchment over to him, Hermione moving over to read along with Neville. "I am not Harry Potter."

Hermione and Neville both stood in shock at the words they were reading. "Corvus Antares Black. You're not Harry Potter, but Harry Potter's cousin. How does something like this happen?" asked Hermione. "We didn't even know that Sirius had a brother."

"What does the rest say?" asked Neville, holding his emotions in check until all the news had been delivered.

Nodding them forward, Harry motioned for them to read the other two parchments. The two stepped up to read what was written about the inheritances and current magical effects.

****_Lordships:_  
Potter (Blood and blood adoption)  
Black (Blood and named heir)  
Le Fey (Blood through the Black line)  
Peverell (Blood through the Potter line)  
Gryffindor (Blood through the Potter line)  
Slytherin (Magical inheritance through right of conquer)  
Ravenclaw (Blood through Le Fey Line)

****_Inheritances:_  
Potter estate and vaults (Properties include Potter Manor, 23 Godric's Hollow )  
Black estate and vaults (Properties include Black Manor, 12 Grimmauld Place)  
Le fey estate and vaults (Le fey Castle, Brynmoore Glen,)  
Peverell estate and vaults (Properties include Peverell Manor, Grimm's Hollow)  
Griffindor estate and vaults (Properties include Gryffindor Castle, Godric's Manor, Lion's Landing, Hogwart's School for Witchcraft and Wizardry)  
Slytherin estate and vaults (Properties include Slytherin castle, Darkwood Manor, Hogwarts School For witchcraft and Wizardry.)  
Ravenclaw estate and vaults (Properties include Ravenclaw Castle, Raven's Nest, Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry.)

The blood drained from Neville's face as he read. This was not good, not at all. Turning his attention to the spells and potions currently in effect on Harry, he was not surprised in the slightest considering what the family tree had revealed.

****_Spells:_  
Praesidium – Regulus Black  
Compulsion – Albus Dumbledore  
Obliviate – Albus Dumbledore  
Modify Memory – Albus Dumbledore

**_Potions:  
Faciem domus – James and Lily Potter  
Familia Vinculum – Regulus Black, James Potter, Lily Potter_ **

Neville wasn't surprised that potions had been used to bind Harry to the Potters as well as his appearance altered to match theirs. As the heir of a noble house, Neville had been taught certain spells as part of preparing to take his place as Lord Longbottom.

"Harry, the Praesidium is a spell crafted by Merlin for use by the noble families and  _only_  the noble families." Neville began to explain. "My Gran told me about it. It's the strongest protection spell in existence and requires the blood of a noble line to cast. And this,  _Familia Vinculum,_  means family bond. It's the potion used for blood adoptions."

"Blood adoptions?" Asked Harry, slightly confused. "Why would blood be needed for adoption?"

Neville sighed softly, mild frustration filtering into his mind. "You should have been taught this from birth. And considering the lines you are heir to, how you ended up with Muggles is a mystery and a travesty." Taking a deep breath, Neville began to explain further. " _Faciem domus"_  is a potion used to give one the appearance of their adopted family. And yes, blood is necessary. In the magical world, an adoption isn't just a matter of legal proceedings. The family literally brings the child into their family with blood. Drops of the adopting family's blood is added to the potion and then the potion is administered to the child. Their blood becomes part of the new member of the family, forever binding them together."

Harry nodded along with this information, understanding the mechanics of what was done to him but one thing still stuck out. "And this?" he asked pointing to the  _Compulsion_  spell administered by Dumbledore. "What is this?"

"A  _Compulsion_  spell is used to compel someone to do something they wouldn't otherwise do or to discretely control someone. An  _Imperius_ curse would be too blatant and obvious, _compulsion_  is more subtle and harder to identify." Said Hermione, her voice tight with emotion. "Dumbledore's way of controlling you under the radar."

"And the Obliviate…?" Harry said, trying to hold himself together in the face of all this new information. "Why would I need to be obliviated?"

"The Dementors." Said Neville. "They make you relive your worst memory. And yours… you said that you heard your mother, Lily, screaming, heard your parents, the Potters, dying. What if that wasn't your worst memory? It was used as well as  _modify memory_  to make you forget the real memory and implant the fake of the Potters? True, if this information is correct, you would have been there that night, but what if your worst memory was of your real parents?"

"That would explain quite a bit." Said Ragefist, speaking for the first time during this conversation.

"But why would Dumbledore do this to me? I know he's meddling and nosy, but why the need to hide this, even from me?" Asked Harry in frustration.

"Because he needed a weapon." Stated Neville bluntly. "I'm sorry Harry but we all here know it's true. The real Harry Potter was dead and he needed someone to be his weapon and you were there. So convenient for him to use to his needs. He knew you were obviously not the real Potter Heir but he needed not only his weapon but the Heir to the Potter and Peverell lines so he could control those Wizengamot seats."

Harry was almost radiating with anger by the end of Neville's speech. "So my life, everything I am and everything I know, is all a lie…" Harry surmised.

"Not everything Harry." Hermione said, placing a gentle hand to his cheek. "We are real. I am here. Neville is here." She said comfortingly. "Your name may be a lie, but those of us that love you are not." The young Gryffindor said, emotion clear in her voice. "I refuse to let you believe that you are any less or different than you were when we walked in this office. You may not be Harry Potter, but you are still the strong and wonderful man you were half an hour ago. Nothing in these pages changes that." She finished passionately.

Taking a deep breath, Harry nodded and turned his head to place a soft kiss on his girlfriend's palm. "I love you."

Turning to face Ragefist, Harry steeled himself. "I need to rid myself of these potions and spells. Do you have any information on how to go about that or who I need to contact to get it done. I was told by a reliable source not to trust anyone but my companions here with me, the source themselves, and the goblin nation."

"We can provide this service. We have the means to purify you of spells and potions. Usually this would be quite an expensive endeavor but I feel as though this bank is partially at fault for not uncovering this sooner. Let us do that first. We have much to do."

"Yes and we must do so quickly. We must be out of Diagon Alley my sunrise." Harry said, taking Hermione's hand and squeezing it, a sign of his emotional turmoil.

"Then let us begin. We will free you of the current magics effecting you then we can aid with the other legal matters. Follow me." Ragefist said, standing and heading toward the door.


	19. Chapter 19

Harry stood in the middle of a circular chamber on a dais, nervously clenching and unclenching his hands. "So how does this work?" He asked as he looked down into a stone pool in the center of the dais.

"You need to remove your clothing then step into the pool and lie down. It's shallow, only a foot deep, so don't worry about drowning." Ragefist explained. "It is filled with a potion that will purify your blood and body. Though I warn you, this will not be easy and it will be painful. These things effecting you have been in place for the vast majority of your life and have spent so long within you that they have bonded with you on an almost molecular level. However, I assure you this is for the best."

Harry nodded and began to do as instructed. A wave of insecurity hit him as he removed his shirt and dropped it to the floor. No one, aside from Hermione, had seen the full extent of the scars on his body.

"I know this will sound childish, but can you turn your backs?" Harry asked, a little of that insecure boy he once was seeping back into his voice.

"Until you're in the pool, yes Heir Black." Ragefist said and turned around to face away, motioning for the others to do the same.

Hermione had seen all there was to see but didn't want to make this any harder on Harry than it had to be so turned around as well.

Neville, who had stayed close to Hermione, followed suit.

Soon Harry was stripped and stepping into the pool of liquid. It wasn't cold as he had expected, slightly warm which was a little surprising. The black liquid lapped sluggishly at his pale skin and seemed to be a bit more gelatinous than normal potions. Sitting down in the center of the pool, the potion came up to cover his legs and, for which he was eternally grateful, his lap. Harry took one last deep breath and then lay back until the potion was covering all of his body except for his face and then called out. "Alright, I'm in."

"Good, now we will begin." Ragefist said and nodded to the other goblins around the room. They all moved forward toward the dais and stood circling Harry just outside the pool. Looking over to the young companions, Rage fist spoke quickly. "Do not step forward while we work. Stay where you are or the guards will remove you. We cannot be disturbed. Nothing, and I do mean  _nothing_  will be allowed to interrupt the ritual. Doing so could have serious consequences." After receiving a nod of understanding from both Gryffindors, Ragefist turned back to the task at hand.

He looked around the circle of goblins questioningly and received a nod from each of them in turn. Ragefist nodded and the chanting began.

_Apelăm elementele în această oră  
Chemăm aerul care ne dă suflare_

As the words filled the air in an ancient language neither teenagers watching could identify they heard Harry gasp, heard the potion slosh slightly as he jerked against whatever he felt.

A tingling sensation that had begun to crawl across Harry's skin with the first couple of words became a stabbing as the goblins continued their work

_Apelăm la apa care ne dă viață  
Chemăm pământul de unde venim_

A yelp came from Harry as he felt the stabbing intensify. He did his best to hold in the sounds as the sound of the incantation grew louder in his ears.

_Apelăm focul care ne încălzește  
Chemăm spiritul care stă în noi toți_

Harry whimpered as a burning sensation began to flow through his veins. It felt as though someone had injected firewhiskey directly into his veins.

The sound of pain coming from Harry ripped at Hermione's heart. She shifted to go to him on instinct but caught herself remembering what Rage fist had said before beginning this process.

_Vă chemăm să vă purificați acest corp  
Îndepărtați sângele de impurități_

That burning sensation increased tenfold as well as the stabbing sensation and both grew deeper and deeper into his body. The pain felt as though it went all the way down to his bones. Harry couldn't hold it in any longer and yelled. He yelled out in pain but that gave him no relief, it felt as though with every moment he was going to combust and be in bloody ribbons at the same time.

This was getting harder and harder to watch. Both Neville and Hermione were having trouble keeping themselves in place as the sounds of pain grew louder and louder. Neville ended up with his arms around his friend, holding her to him so she couldn't run to Harry. He could see in every line of her body that she was aching to run pull him out of the pool and make the pain go away. But this was necessary. They had to get anything effecting Harry out of him for good.

_Ridicați corpul de state nenaturale_  
Curățați sângele să curgă liber  
Curățați corpul să trăiască în întregime

Harry couldn't take any more and gave himself over to the pain, letting out a bloodcurdling scream as the chanting came to a crescendo and the sensations seemed to triple and then quadruple and then triple again. He was certain that he was being flayed, burned alive, and ripped apart at all at once. He was dying. He knew it.

Another shriek pierced the air and the potion sloshed roughly as Harry's body arched violently up. He could feel his bones shifting, his body changing, his skin growing tighter.

A pulse of magic went through the air as the ritual ended, the potion now with a sickly green color streaking its surface. Slowly the potion drained out of the pool, leaving an almost completely dry and very different young man in the center.

Ragefist stepped forward and looked down at Harry who was panting and whimpering softly as small aching waves continued to run through him. "Give it a few moments Heir Black, with removing the  _Faciem domus_ potion will have changed your body physically. You will now revert back to your former appearance, what you would have grown up as had you not been wearing what amounts to a semi-permanent glamour."

Harry nodded and slowly pushed himself to sit up. The first thing he noticed was the long thick hair that fell forward around his face. Opening his eyes he saw that it looked soft and reach to touch it, pleasantly surprised when it was just as soft as it looked. Catching sight of his hands in this process, he saw that gone was the quidditch tanned skin, replaced by a pale complexion. He also noted the lack of a scar on the back of his hand and looked up at Ragefist in confusion.

"My scar is gone." He says and uses his other hand to point to the place where  _"I must not tell lies"_  once rested.

"That was scarred into a body that is no longer yours." Replied Ragefist. "Think of it as though that scar was on a skin that you shed and now is no longer there on this new skin. Similar to a snake." He finished.

"Oh." Was all the young raven said.  _'That means all the other scars are gone too.'_  He thought to himself.

Moving to stand up, he felt a bit unsteady on his feet, and had to catch himself from stumbling.

"That will happen." Ragefist explained, seeing the impared balance issue. "As well as removing the glamour, the potion works to give you the body you were supposed to have. You've grown a few inches and have put on a bit of muscle mass."

Harry then took a moment to look down at his body. Ragefist was right. He was surprised to see that his body, while still lean, was much more toned and defined.

"Mirror?" He asked, realizing that his voice had changed, slightly deeper with a much more silky quality.

Ragefist nodded and pointed behind the young man who turned to follow his direction.

Catching sight of himself in the mirror was an odd experience. Logically he knew that the image he was seeing was him, but it was hard to believe. His hair was long, reaching just below his shoulder blades, thick, and completely straight. What once was an unruly black bird's nest was now a silken curtain of onyx with a very faint bluish tint when the light hit it. He could no longer see the evidence years of abuse, neglect, and malnutrition had left him with. He looked healthy and strong. His pale skin clear and flawless. He had higher, more defined cheekbones and a less prominent nose. His eyes, which everyone had always told him looked just like his mother's, were no longer emerald green. Now, he had bright, electric blue eyes that were framed by a pair of thick black lashes. Another realization hit him as he was looking over his new appearance. He wasn't wearing his glasses. Apparently the potion had corrected his vision as well. All in all, he now looked as though he was Heir to nobility. Gone was the scrawny runt and in his place was a tall, elegant looking young man.

A soft gasp pulled him from his musings and he turned to face his companions, his nudity forgotten in the face of this shocking new appearance.

"Hi…" Harry said anxiously, worried about their, especially Hermione's, reaction to the changes in him.

Hermione moved forward and gently touched his face, running her fingertips over his features as though to memorize them. "Hi…" she said gently, a soft smile gracing her lips.

"Wow mate." Said Neville, stepping forward and handing the young man a pair of trousers. "That's a drastic change."

Harry blushed realizing he was still standing there stark naked in a room full of goblins and gratefully took the clothing. "Thanks." He said and hurriedly pulled them on. With his new height, they were rather short on him.

"We're going to need to get you new clothes." Said Hermione with a slight giggle.

"Yeah, I guess." He replied.

"We need to be getting on with the rest of your business Heir Black." Ragefist said, pulling the three teenagers back to the reality of the situation.

"Right." Replied Harry, Nodding and pulling on his shirt which was now dangerously tight. "Let's get the rest handled. We need to be gone from here soon. We were told to be as quick as possible."

"We can do the rest relatively easy. Follow me back to my office." Ragefist said and turned to walk out of the ritual chamber.

* * *

**_A.N.: The ritual is said in Romanian. For those of you who may speak Romanian, I apologize for any inaccuracies and/or horribly messing up your language. I used Google Translate for the translations. Below is what I translated so feel free to correct my translations and I will happily update the story to reflect those corrections!_ **

_**We call upon the elements in this hour  
** _ _**We call upon the air which gives us breath  
** _ _**We call upon the water which gives us life  
** _ _**We call upon the earth from which we come  
** _ _**We call upon the fire which warms us  
** _ _**We call upon the spirit which resides within us all  
** _ _**We call upon you to purify this body  
** _ _**Rid the blood of impurities  
** _ _**Rid the body of unnatural states  
** _ _**Clean the blood to flow freely  
** _ __**Clean the body to live wholly**


	20. Chapter 20

Upon returning to Ragefist's office, the three Gryffindors took chairs opposite the older goblin.

"Now, down to the remainder of your business Heir Black." Ragefist said as he looked over some papers that hadn't been there when they left. "You stated when you came in that you needed to make withdrawals, and restrict activity on your accounts. With these new developments and the results of your blood tests would you be claiming your lordships as well?"

Looking over to the other two, he thought for a moment. "What would happen if I claim them?"

At this Neville spoke up. "You would be taking responsibility for all of your lordships, including the accounts and lands that go with them. You would also be claiming your seats on the Wizengamot, which is a mixed bag. Dumbledore would no longer have access to them but if you were to attend a meeting or trial, your identity would be made known as well as exactly what all seats you are claiming." The Longbottom Heir explained to his friend as simply as he could manage, well aware of how overwhelmed he must feel at the moment. "Ha…Co…Um" Neville stumbled with a sheepish smile. "I would recommend claiming your lordships, all of them. Do not let Dumbledore wield your political power any longer. You can also hold off on attending Wizengamot meetings until we figure some things out, most of them are just regular checkins anyway to go over any new law proposals, though new laws will not be passed without you there as all members or their representative must be in attendance for proposals to be passed." He finished.

The newly transformed boy nodded his understanding and turned his attention back to Ragefist. "I will claim all of them."

"Very well, Heir Black. This will also emancipate you and make you a legal adult." The goblin said before laying out a rather large stack of forms and placing a quill that he was very well acquainted with on top. "This is a blood quill, it will use your own blood to sign the papers making them magically binding."

"I'm aware of what it is." He said with more than a little disgust gracing his voice. Picking up the loathed object he went to sign his name and then paused. "What name do I sign?" He asked, confusion and a slight edge of pain could be heard in those few words.

"That is entirely at your discretion, whatever you wish your legal name to be. This will also effect any changes of name you wish to be made." Ragefist said.

He turned to look at Hermione questioningly. "This is your choice. I love you unconditionally no matter the name you go by. This is a choice you must make for yourself, just know that I will love you as Corvus just as much as Harry." She answered the question she could see in his eyes. "A rose by any other name." She said softly, and at that he smiled.

"I have spent far too long living the life of a dead person. I want to be my own person, not the ghost of my cousin." He said firmly, making his decision, before turning and signing his full name as Corvus Antares Black over and over on each of the documents of lordship.

"Very well, Lord Black-Potter-Le Fey-Peverell-Gryffindor-Slytherin-Ravenclaw, you are officially the lord of seven houses, the most lordships one person has help since the time of Merlin." Said Ragefist, picking up the papers that had just been signed and setting them to the side.

"Wow that is such a mouthful." Said the newly christened Corvus. "How about just Lord Black for the sake of time and ease of remembrance." He finished.

"As you wish." The goblin said with a nod. "Now on to other matters, while we were performing the ritual I had another goblin collect all of the information available on your account. It looks as if several people have had access to it over the years, namely Dumbledore who has made several large withdrawls on what seems like a fairly regular basis."

"I would like to put a stop to that immediately!" Corvus burst out. "How much has he taken from me?"

"These figures show that as of last week he had taken a total of eight hundred thousand galleons from your accounts. Not one, as that would have raised suspicion but he seems to spread his withdrawls out over several of them and sited that they were for your upbringing and care."

"I want it all back." Corvus snarled. "Every single knut that man has taken from me. Since not a single bit of it was ever actually used on me. I was left with muggles and wore my fat cousin's cast-offs and slept in a cramped cupboard under the stairs. Hell, even my first Hogwarts letter was address to 'Mr. H Potter, Cupboard Under The Stairs" he fumed.

Ragefist, who had smiled in vicious delight at the order to recover the stolen money, was visibly shocked by what the young man had revealed. Then the malicious smile returned even wider. "That makes this a legal matter and goes far beyond embezzlement." He said to the new Lord in front of him. "This is also a case of neglect, both physical and magical."

Corvus snorted. "I was definitely neglected but mostly by the muggles relatives I was left with."

"Ha-Corvus." Neville said, stumbling once more but recovering quickly. "This is about Dumbledore's neglect as well. No magical child is to be adopted out or fostered by muggles no matter their blood relation, especially not a magical child of the sacred twenty-eight. You should have been placed with a magical family of similar status, a noble house, so that you were taught how to tend to your lordships. Dumbledore, as your self-proclaimed magical guardian was to see to this. Actually he never should have been your magical guardian to begin with because he is not a noble in his own right, he only sits on the Wizengamot with your seats, which with this information, he has done illegally." Turning to Ragefist, Neville asked angrily, though his ire was not directed at the goblin. "How has this happened? This should have been caught and not allowed to continue! This is tantamount to line theft!"

"Exactly." Said Ragefist, an utterly vicious look in his eye. "Dumbledore's list of crimes seems to grow longer and longer the more information that is given. I will personally investigate this matter and see that it is made right and he is charged. Lord Black, would you provide me with your memories. I know this is quite a lot to ask but it will aid in getting your losses returned as well as support the charges I plan to lay at that meddlesome old fool's feet."

Corvus froze for a moment then nodded warily. "What memories will you need?" he asked.

"I hate to point a light on this, especially as you've just rid yourself of the physical reminders but I saw the scars before you entered the pool. I know abuse when I see it. I will need all of the memories of your abuse, ever single act of cruelty the ones Dumbledore left you with inflicted upon you." Ragefist answered and for the first time he sounded regretful, as though he truly did hate to force the young man to remember his worst moments.

"If it will help take that man down and keep my family safe then yes." Corvus answered. "How do I give them to you?"

Ragefist stood at his agreement and walked to a cabinet and pulled out a pensive, bringing it to sit on his desk out of the way of all the papers yet to handle. "Just put the tip of your wand against your temple and think of the memory and then gently pull your wand away and drop the memory into the pensive."

"Mate." Called out Neville as the other young man stood to do as instructed. "Might want to include memories of all the dangers you have faced at Hogwarts while you're at it. That definitely has to prove him unfit for the post of headmaster at least."

With a nod of agreement, he began transferring memories into the pensive. It took much longer than anyone was expecting, the silvery strands of memory seeming to be unending. Finally about fifteen minutes of Corvus adding memory after memory into the stone bowl, he put away his wand and returned to his seat.

No one commented on just how many horrible memories he had to give. No one mentioned the feelings of horror at what could have possibly been happening to this boy at the hands of his muggle relatives.


	21. Chapter 21

After a moment of shuffling papers and making notes Ragefist finally broke the uncomfortable silence. "Now that we have these memories I will begin the moment you leave looking through them and completing the necessary papers to file charges against Dumbledore." Pausing briefly as though measuring his words he continued. "I will be as delicate as possible and I, as well as the whole of the goblin nation, will endeavor to protect your privacy to the best of our abilities Lord Black."

Corvus nodded his understanding and send a grateful look to the goblin.

"Now onto the remainder of your business. You said that you would like to withdraw from your accounts and manage access. First, who would you like to allow access to? We can completely wipe the slate as they say and discontinue access to all others who have previously had access and leave only yourself while adding those you deem fit."

"You mention others…" Corvus said, reaching forward and picking up the parchment that held his inheritances. "Who all currently has access to any of my accounts aside from Dumbledore which we've already found out?"

Reaching to the side of his desk, Ragefist pulled out a sheaf of parchment and read aloud a list of names that shocked up with certain names but others weren't as big of a surprise. "Molly Weasley, Ronald Weasley, Ginerva Weasley, Arabella Figg, Alastor Moody, and Elphias Dodge."

Corvus could feel the rage and pain once more building as he fought to keep a handle on his magic. "The Weasleys… Ron, I'm not so surprised about but Mrs. Weasley….?"

"Corvus, I am so sorry." Neville said, shaking his head sadly. "I know you were close to the family."

Hermione refrained from speaking, her own rage burning in her chest at the betrayal of the people her love held most dear. Moving from her seat she went to Corvus to kneel in front of him, cradling his face in her hands. Leaning forward she gently pressed her lips to his in reassurance.

Corvus returned the affection, taking comfort in her touch. After a brief moment he took a deep cleansing breath. "I'm alright. I'll deal with this later, we don't have time to feel it right now." Turning his attention back to Ragefist he nodded to continue.

"I need copies of all of the paper work from tonight for my own records." At his Corvus looked to Neville who nodded. "I also need to know how much those people have taken and as with Dumbledore I want everything back that they've taken. Every single knut."

At this Ragefist nodded and called once again for a guard to take a hastily scribbled note.

"Now as for who I want access now, only myself and Hermione Granger should have access at this moment. Any other needed additions can be made at a later date." Corvus said and a tight voice, doing his all to keep his emotions in check and quickly quieting the refusals the brunette in question attempted. "Restrict all withdrawl requests to in person visits only and please note that no letters with my supposed permission will be given out so if someone comes tying to use it for access they are not authentic."

At this last statement Ragefist smiled a vicious smile. "And anyone who makes any such attempt will be added to those who are already facing charges."

Corvus returned the goblin's smile with a satisfied one of his own. "Now as to the matter of withdrawls today, I need enough funds to sustain us for at least three months as I'm not sure when I'll be able to make it back in person for more."

"Would you like someone to fetch it for you or go to your vault yourself and collect what you need?" Ragefist asked only to be told that someone bringing him the needed sum would be acceptable. The goblin nodded and made out another note in the seemingly endless stream of papers he sent off to do one thing or another.

"You said you had purchases in the alley to make before you leave, is this true Lord Black?" Rage fist asked expectantly.

"Yes, there are several things we need to acquire before we leave the city, and was quickly as possible as it is imperative we be gone before sunrise." Corvus answered, beginning to worry that they were running out of time.

Seeming to sense these worries, Ragefist reached for a blank sheet of parchment and a quill. "If you would prefer, Lord Black, you can make a list of all that you need and Gringotts can gather all you need while we finish our business here."

The newly christened Lord Black, was a little taken aback at the offer and looked to Neville for the ever present council he had been since he had followed them from Hogwarts.

Seeing this, Ragefist spoke once more. "This is not a service we would normally offer but seeing all that has been done against you and that you are still facing, we understand the need for you to disappear for the time being and wish to give you full extent of the aid you requested when you invoked the old rites of sanctuary. You are a friend to the goblin nation and we will get you out of London alive."

Corvus was astounded to say the least. Unable to say anything else he simply nodded and took the offered items to make his list, turning to confer with the other two in order to make sure nothing as forgotten. When the list was complete and more extensive than they were expecting, he handed the list over to Ragefist and spoke. "I thank you for this, for everything. Though I'm not sure how some of these things can be acquired at this time." Pointing to a section of the list he expanded. "I need an entirely new wardrobe thanks to my transformation. I need clothes that fit and, according to Neville, befit my station as the Lord of seven houses. Also, Hermione will need maternity clothes." He said, pausing for a moment and looking over to his girlfriend. "She's in the very early stages of her pregnancy. This is what pushed our hands to leaving the school and London itself. Were either side of this war to find out about our child, the results would not be in our favor. Only those in this room and our reliable source inside the walls of Hogwarts are aware of this development and we need to keep it that way."

Ragefist took the list and looked it over before replying. "I understand the time sensitivity but we goblins have our ways. I will send for someone to take your measurements and we will have everything dealt with and the cost will be pulled directly out of the account of your choosing."

Corvus nodded and told him to pull from the main Potter account. In just a few short moments a goblin was in the office with them to take the necessary measurements.


	22. Chapter 22

Turning to Neville while Harry and Hermione had their measurements taken, Ragefist began to speak. "Is there anything you need to take care of whilst your two companions are being fitted?"

"Yes, actually." The younger Gryffindor said, sitting up straighter in his seat. "I wanted to know if it's possible I might claim my Lordship as well? My parents are permanent residents of the Janice Thickey Ward in St. Mungo's with absolutely no chance of recovery. I know that it is an unusual circumstance however with the current political climate our little party needs all the help it can get."

"It is possible, Heir Longbottom. I took the liberty of calling for your family records and it seems that their will, like many of the noble houses during the war, laid in special provisions for the possibility that they were living but no longer able to maintain their duties as Head of the family. Had you not come to us now, a summons would have been sent to you upon reaching your maturity to come claim your lordship."

Neville smiled a little sadly and nodded. "Good, I would like to claim it and to be on the safe side, run the same tests as before with Corvus. I want to make sure we get any surprises over with all at once."

Ragefist nodded and proceeded to produce more of the same parchment as before and offering the blade to the youngest Longbottom. Following the same pattern as Corvus had, he placed the required drops of blood on each parchment before handing the now clean blade back to the goblin.

After a moment the parchments began to glow, unsurprisingly. This time there were surprises, though thankfully not nearly as many. Looking over the parchment containing his inheritances, Neville was shocked but then began to laugh.

With a curious look at him, Corvus moved toward his friend and looked at him curiously, an eyebrow raised questioningly. The youngest Gryffindor simply shook his head and handed over the parchment. Upon reading the words written, the young Black Lord laughed softly as well.

"What has the two of you so amused?" Hermione asked, watching them curiously though she was unable to leave her place due to the measurements currently being taken.

"It would seem that between Corvus and myself, we are the sole heirs and owners of Hogwarts." Neville replied with a smirk. "We are effectively Dumbledore's bosses."

"What?! How?" The brunette asked disbelievingly.

"Corvus is the heir of three founders, Slytherin, Gyffindor, and Ravenclaw. I am apparently the heir of the fourth, Hufflepuff." Neville answered, walking over and handing her the inheritance test results.

****_Lordships:  
Longbottom (Blood)  
Hufflepuff (Blood via Longbottom Line)_

****_Inheritances:  
Longbottom estate and vaults (Properties include Longbottom Manor, 14 Willow Way)  
Hufflepuff estate and vaults (Properties include Hufflepuff Castle, Badger's Den, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Turning to the goblin who had been quiet during this short conversation, scribbling away on the ever growing stack of notes, Corvus spoke. "This will help us in taking the meddlesome old fool down?"

"Oh indeed, Lord Black." Ragefist answered with the goblin version of a smirk. "According to the Hogwarts charter, the founders, and be extension their heirs, retain the right to make decisions within the school. Up to and including the appointment or dismissal of the headmaster. The board of governors cannot overrule any decision made by the founders or their heirs and any changes or additions to the school's charter must be approved by them as well. It has been so long since an heir has come forward so these bylaws have been buried under decades of the board's dealings but it is still binding."

"Wicked." Corvus said with a smirk. "This will be very useful."

"Agreed." Said Neville. "Though I think we should keep this bit of information amongst ourselves for the time begin. Let's not tip our hand too soon."

Corvus nodded his agreement. "Yes, better to keep some things close until the perfect moment. The moment that will give us the biggest advantage."

"Exactly." Neville replied. "I'm sure Luna will let us know when the time is right. She probably already knew all of this, come to think of it.

"Probably." Said the other two Gryffindors in agreement. "She seems to know everything." Hermione added.

"That she does." The youngest Longbottom said, a small wistful smile playing across his lips for the briefest of moments before pulling himself together and turning back to the other results resting on the goblin's desk.

"Are you kidding me!? This cannot be serious!" He burst out after taking a moment to study the parchment that held the results regarding any effects currently upon his person.

"What is it this time?" asked Corvus, mild exasperation tinging his voice.

"These potions and spells!" Neville answered angrily. "Apparently you aren't the only one who's entire being Dumbledore has been meddling with! Look at this!" He finished, thrusting the paper into his friend's hands.

 **** _Spells_  
facere metuebat Severus Snape – Albus Dumbledore  
Compulsion – Albus Dumbledore  
Obliviate – Albus Dumbledore

**_Potions  
siphon fortitudinem – Albus Dumbledore_ **   
****_Tumultus amet – Albus Dumbledore_

"The first spell is a fear spell directed toward Professor Snape." He explained, visibly restraining himself from exploding. "It's to make me afraid of him. The second and third, you know what they are. I'm just wondering why in Merlin's name he would use them on me."

"Well now your unnatural fear of the greasy bat makes more sense, though to be fair most sane people are a little wary of the man." Corvus tried to soften the blow a bit with the latter statement.

"What are the potions?" Hermione called out, reminding them that she was currently being held hostage by a goblin with a tape measure.

Reading off the two potions aloud to Hermione, Corvus was thoroughly confused by her reaction. She had gasped sharply and paled dramatically. Even Neville, who had been so knowledgeable about the potions effecting Harry simply because of his upbringing, were unaware of the effects of these. Potions had not been his highest marks, for now glaringly obvious reasons.

"Neville! How are you still alive?" the brunette asked, her eyes slightly misty. "That combination could have killed you. You are incredibly lucky."

"What do you mean Mione?" Corvus asked, his anger towards the headmaster that had been simmering just beneath the surface began to once again boil within him. "What do these do?"

"Well…" She said cautiously, knowing Harry well enough to read what was going through his mind and anxious of the outcome of her words. "You know I tend to read books from higher years when I run out of assigned reading material…" She started only to be cut off, surprisingly by Neville this time.

"Just get to the point Hermione." He said a bit harshly.

"The first is a strength siphoning potion." She said in a rush. "Dumbledore has literally been draining your physical strength to make you weaker and most likely to make you meek and maliable." She finished quietly.

Neville took a deep breath and let it out through his nose several times, trying to wrangle his emotions into some semblance of control. Hearing how bad the first was he dreaded hearing the effects of the second potion but he needed to know. No matter how bad it was, it was better to know than to let it continue on without understanding the ramifications. "And the other?" He gritted out through his teeth.

"I… Neville… I'm sorry." Said the bookworm in a small and slightly broken voice. In that moment both boys knew just how bad this blow would be.

"Just… just tell me Hermione." The youngest of the three asked, almost pleadingly. "I have to know."

"Tumultus amet is a dark spell." She began softly. "It was created during the time of the witch hunts. Parents feared for their children's safety so they… took measures to ensure they couldn't be found out." She paused a moment as if searching for the best way to force out what she was trying to explain. "Instead of hiding the child away, which would raise suspicion, they…. They locked away the child's powers." She finished with a wince, almost bracing herself for the explosion that was eminent.

"That means…." Neville began but couldn't bring himself to say the words.

"What Miss Granger means is that Albus Dumbledore has been very very naughty." Ragefist said, the look on his face matching his name. "It means that he has delved into magic so dark that all knowledge was thought to be eradicated." He continued, standing and walking around his desk to stand before the youngest Longbottom. "It means that Dumbledore has bound your magical core."

"He WHAT?!" yelled Corvus, radiating anger even as his friend was swaying where he stood from the maelstrom of his own emotions and the boy's magic flaring and surrounding him. "How! How could something so… so evil!" he continued to rage, angered on his friend's behalf.

"Lord Black, please." Ragefist said, indicating the effect the magical backlash of his anger was having on Neville. Immediately he fought for control, taking a few deep breaths before moving to Neville's side. By now Hermione was finished being prodded and measured and made her way over to the other two.

"I'm sorry Neville, I didn't realize…" Corvus said softly, nudging him into a seat when it looked as though he was about to lose his legs thanks to the shock.

"What can be done?" Corvus snapped as he turned towards the goblin once more. "Can this be reversed?"

"Yes, Lord Black." Ragefist said with a nod. "We can cleanse him as we did you, though he will have much more severe side effects than you suffered. We must do this and quickly, it is only by the grace of magic herself that this boy is still breathing. We must unbind his core and put a stop to his strength with the upmost urgency."

Turning to Neville he spoke, though it could be seen that the goblin did make an effort to sound soothing. Not that it helped much, but the effort was appreciated. "Heir Longbottom, you must sign these papers to claim your title, lock down your vaults, and then we must get you into the cleansing chamber. We have not a moment to waste. Do you understand me?"

"I… I understand." Neville mumbled and signed where he was told, though he seemed to do so in some sort of a daze. The shock most likely, the others thought.

"If the two of you would wait here, we will take the new Lord Longbottom to the ritual chamber and cleanse these vile abominations from his system." Ragefist said to Corvus and Hermione. As they began to protest that they wanted to be with him, the goblin held up a hand. "His magic has been bound for who knows how long. Once we unbind it, the backlash could attack either of you. It will sense you as a threat. Even though he may not see you that way, his long imprisoned magic will be wild and uncontrollable, it will lash out and I will not put either of you at such risk. It's bad for business." The last statement was more for appearances sake than anything and they all knew it, but a goblin must not be seen to actually care about a human wizard.

Corvus understood though he did not like it in the least. Wrapping an arm around Hermione, he pulled her close to him, holding her to his chest for some much needed comfort. "You will be notified when all is finished, and I will go over the ramifications once we've finished." Ragefist said and turned to lead Neville down the hall and out of sight.


	23. Chapter 23

Turning around and moving back into the office, Corvus dropped himself down onto a chair and pulled his girlfriend into his lap, holding her as though he was scared she would disappear. "This is… this is all too much Mione." He said, burying his face into her shoulder. "So much has been done, not just to me but to Neville. It's just… it's all too much. I don't know if anything else can be survived." He finished in a rough voice.

Hermione wrapped her arms around Corvus's neck and held him just as close, understanding and sharing in his pain. "I know, it seems like the world has just turned upside down in the span of a few hours and in reality it has. It hasn't even been twelve hours and already so much has come to light. Things that it will take time and effort to come to terms with and move past. It is completely understandable that you are overwhelmed right now. We all are, but you and Neville seem to have drawn the shortest straws. You both have been slapped in the face with harsh truths and will have to learn how to live with those truths." The brunette said softly, resting her cheek on the top of her lover's head. "But you have people, maybe not many people, but you do have people. You have me, Luna, Neville, and even Dobby. And those same people, and you, will be there for Neville. We will figure out where to go from here. We will work together and we will survive. I promise." She whispered the last as if making a solemn vow.

The two sat there for what seemed like ages until several goblins entered the room carrying various bags and boxes.

"The items you required Lord Black." The tallest among them said, giving a small bow before moving back toward the door and leaving the two alone once more.

"We'll need help managing these…" Corvus began then paled slightly. "Oh no!"

"What?!" Asked Hermione anxiously.

"Dobby!" the young Lord called.

Within seconds a crack reverberated through the office and there stood the small little house elf now bound to him. "I'm so sorry Dobby!" He said sadly. "In all of this… chaos I… well I sort of forgot." Corvus said, shame coloring his voice.

"Oh Mr. Harry Potter Sir!" the little creature squeaked. "You no bes sad over Dobby! Dobby is being in the lobby guarding master and is missy and his Nevvy's things!"

"About that Dobby." Corvus said, a little of his old nervousness shining through. "That isn't my name."

"What is you saying?" The little elf cried in distress. "You is being Master Harry Potter Sir! You is being the greatest wizard who ever is being living! You is Dobby's master." Dobby ranted.

"Dobby, look at me closely." He said, trying to get the creature's attention.

After a moment the elf did was he was bid, taking in the sight of his master and seeing the changes. "What has being happened to Master Harry Potter Sir!?" Dobby cried and ran forward.

"I'm not Harry Potter, Dobby." He said with a sigh. "I never have been."

"Dobby is… Dobby is not being understanding…" the house elf said in confusion, almost on the verge of tears.

"I'm not Harry Potter, Dobby." Corvus repeated. "I never was. Tis was all Dumbledore's doing. When we arrived here and I was blood tested to claim my lordship I found out that I'm not Harry Potter. My name is Corvus Antares Black. James Potter wasn't my father, he was my uncle. Harry Potter was my cousin. He died that night in Godrick's Hollow and I lived. Dumbledore apparently decided that since Harry was dead I would take his place." He tried to explain the confusing and complicated situation to the little elf as simply as possible. "I… I am the son of Regulus Black and Evangeline Potter, James Potter's sister. I don't know how I came to them but they blood adopted me, that's why I looked so much like my da…. Like James." He said, catching himself on the word 'dad', noticeably correcting himself.

"But you is still being you!" Dobby said excitedly. "You is still being the great wizard who stopped He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!"

"Dobby, why don't you sit down." Corvus said, slightly frustrated, though he wasn't sure how much was the elf and how much was the whole situation.

"See!" Dobby cried, his big bulbus eyes glistening with tears. "You is still being you! You is still being a great wizard! You is still being good! You is still being the noble master Dobby swore to serve!"

Corvus stopped what he was about to say. For some reason the little house elf's words hit home with him. He had heard Hermione's and even Neville's reassurances that he was still the same person but this little creature who was so unflinchingly loyal, still had faith in him.

"So you're not… you're okay with me not being Harry Potter?" he asked tentatively.

"Oh yes sir! You is still great! You is still noble! You is still being doing the good things you has done!" Dobby cried. "You is still you even if you is not being called Harry Potter Sir!"

"Thank you Dobby." Corvus said, with a bit of a relieved sigh. He couldn't pinpoint why Dobby's acceptance meant so much to him, but for some reason it did.

"I told you as much earlier." Said Hermione, a bit exasperated. "Did you not believe me that you are still you no matter the name?"

"I did, it's just…." He broke off, unsure how to put to words how he as feeling. "I feel like I've lost who I am. I feel like I've lost everything that made me who I was. I don't even know who I am anymore, Mione. This… this revelation for want of a better word, has torn away everything I was and left me completely bare." He tried to explain.

"Then find out!" Hermione exclaimed. "You've always said that you wanted people to know the "real Harry". Well… here's your chance. You can leave all of the expectations and the title, and everything that comes with it in this office when we leave and just be you. Just be Corvus. Figure out who you are and be that person. This could be the best thing that's ever happened to you. Think of it as instead of ripping away who you are, it set you free from a life that was never yours." She said encouragingly. "It made it possible for you to live a life that is yours, yours and no others!" she finished passionately.

"How are you so smart, Hermione?" Corvus asked, a small smile playing at his lips before he caught his brilliant girlfriend in a deep kiss. "Thank you." He whispered softly as they parted.

A voice cleared behind them causing all three occupants of the room, wizard and house elf alike, to jump at the sound.

"Whilst I am glad that you are calmer now, we have more to discuss before you depart, Lord Potter." Ragefist said as he made his way back to his desk.

"Where is Neville?" Asked the two Gryffindors in unison.

"Lord Longbottom is currently unconscious in the next room. The ritual took much out of him and he will have a long road to recovery, which is one of the many things we need to discuss before you take your leave. He will need constant care for the next few days. The ritual weakened him severely, though his body was already incredibly weak thanks to the combination of those two vile potions. He will most likely sleep through the next few days, then after that he will need assistance doing even the smallest of things. He will have to relearn to use his muscles and limbs. He will have to work to build up the strength that he should have had. I highly suggest you find more help, though I do not doubt the abilities of your house elf, Lord Longbottom will need around the clock care for the next several weeks." Ragefist finished, looking saddened at the state of such a young lord.

"I will look into it as soon as we reach our final destination." Corvus said with a nod, understanding how serious his friend's condition currently was. "And his core?" he asked, almost regretfully.

"We were able to reverse the binding, however there are some complications." The goblin answered. "He has been using only a tiny portion of his core to fuel his spells in school. This was only possible because the potion was intended for use on babies at birth before their cores can fully begin to form. He bust have been given the potion sometime after his parents were… out of the picture. His core had already begun to form and thus the potion was not quite as effective. The spells he produced while at school were on the weaker side, yes?" At this, both teens nodded. "As I thought. He will not have had access to his full range of magic. This means he will need to relearn to use his magic. Similar to the rehabilitation his muscles will need in order to move properly, so will his magic need a sort of rehabilitation. His spells will have more power than before and this he will need to learn control all over again. Or more accurately, for the first time. He has always had to fight to use enough magic, now he will have to learn how not to overpower things." Ragefist finished explaining.

"So in essence, Neville is physically and magically almost like a newborn baby and he will need to relearn to walk and use his magic." Said Corvus.

"Essentially, yes." Answered the goblin. "Which is why I suggest acquiring more help, be it house elves or another wizard or two you feel you can trust. Though be warned, he is extremely vulnerable right now and his magic is wild and raw. It will lash out viciously if threatened in any way. Take care with him for the next few weeks until he returns to his usual self and his magic settles."

Corvus nodded, though Hermione suddenly turned to the elf in the room. "Dobby, is Winky still in the school kitchens?"

"Yes Missy Grangey!" Dobby squeaked excitedly. "Winky is still being in the kitchens at Hoggywarts! And she is being off the drink now. She is being a very good elf."

"Do you think she would possibly be willing to join us? To help look after Neville?" Hermione asked, though her voice gave away just how little she liked the idea of having yet another house elf.

"Ooooh yes Missy Grangey!" Dobby said nodding vigorously, his bat-like ears flopping all around. "Winky is being happy to serve a family. She is not liking the heady sir very much."

"Do you trust her Dobby?" Corvus asked, putting in his main concern. "Can she be trusted to be with us and not betray us to Dumbledore or anyone in the ministry?"

"Yes Master Harry Potter Sir." Dobby said, before quickly correcting. "Master Black Sir!" He squeaked anxiously. "Dobby is sorry sirs."

"It's fine Dobby, it's going to take a lot of getting used to on my part too." Corvus said. "I've thought I was Harry Potter for as long as I can remember. It's confusing to me too." He added gently. "if you trust her, go get her and bring her here quickly. I want to get this over with before we head out. I want no one outside of this room except Luna knowing where we're going."

Dobby nodded and disappeared with a crack.

"While we wait for your elf to return Lord Black, let us conclude things." Ragefist said, picking up five black leather folders, one several times larger than the other. Handing the first and largest one to Corvus he spoke again. "This is your banking records, including the family portfolios of all the houses for which you hold the Lordship. From this you can see any and all transactions occurring in your vaults, records of businesses in which you hold shares, and any other stocks, bonds, and trade agreements. It also has vault balances, asset lists, and property lists." The goblin paused as he handed the second leather folder to him. "This is Lord Longbottom's banking portfolio, it holds all of the same information as your own family portfolios, though obviously he has less to manage than yourself." Handing the third folder over he spoke again. "This is all of the paperwork you signed claiming your lordships. This one is Lord Longbottom's lordship paperwork." He handed over the fourth as he spoke the last half and then held up the last folder. "This is copies of all of the blood test results, banking statements showing the embezzlement from your accounts, basically all of the evidence we have collected here tonight. I will continue to send you evidence as it is collected, though I will do so through your elf so that an owl cannot be intercepted." Ragefist finished as Corvus took the last folder and tucked all five into the book bag that Hermione had grabbed before they left the common room what seemed like years ago but had only been a few hours.

Before any more could be said, a crack reverberated through the room and two house elves appeared before Corvus, one bouncing in excitement and the other anxiously wringing her worn tea towel.

"Master Black Sir!" Dobby cried in his squeaky voice. "Dobby has brought Winky as requested. She has agreed to serve the most nooooble sir!"

"Winky." Corvus called in a soft but firm voice. "What has Dobby told you?"

"Only that yous is being needed another house elf to help, Mr. Harry Potter Sir. Dobby is being saying it is important and most secret." The new elf said in a scared high pitched voice.

"This is true. Though there is more to it than that. Will you be willing to make an unbreakable vow to keep your silence before we tell you the situation? I want you to know what you are signing up for before you are bound to my family. I want to give you the chance to say no but I have to protect what's mine at the same time." He said, trying to be as even spoken as possible.

"Yes Sir!" said the female elf.

"Hermione, will you bind us?" Corvus asked his love.

"Yes." She replied shortly. Corvus knew they would be having a very very VERY long discussion about this later, but he was thankful she was holding her tongue for the moment. "Thank you." He whispered to her.

Moving from his place on the chair under Hermione, he knelt on the floor in front of the small elf and took her hand firmly, yet carefully in his own.

"Will you, Winky the house elf, swear on your life to keep what you are about to be told a secret and not reveal in any way, whether it be speaking, writing, or even thinking, the information given to you without the permission of Corvus Antares Black, formerly known as Harry James Potter to the public?" Hermione asked, holding her wand over their clasped hands.

Winky gasped but nodded, speaking the words fearfully to seal the vow. "I will."

"And will you, Winky the house elf, swear on your life to keep the knowledge of the disappearances of Corvus Antares Black, formerly known as Harry James Potter to the public, Hermione Jean Granger, and Neville Longbottom, from the institute known as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry a secret from any and all in the event that you decline the offer to serve without the permission of Corvus Antares Black, formerly known as Harry James Potter to the public?" Hermione continued.

"I will." She squeaked.

"And will you swear on your life to deny any knowledge of this meeting if the offer to serve is declined without the permission of Corvus Antares Black, formerly known as Harry James Potter to the public?" Hermione finished.

"I will." She said, each affirmation having drawn another glowing thread from the brunette's wand. Finally with the last vow from Winky, their hands glowed and then the threads of light seemed to sink into their hands.

"Thank you Winky." Corvus said, gently squeezing her hand before releasing it and returning to his previous chair and pulling Hermione once more into his lap.

Over the next half hour he explained everything to Winky; Hermione's pregnancy, their escape from the castle, their fears about both sides of the war, what they had discovered about Corvus's parentage, what had been done to Neville, and the rituals to cleanse both of them. At the end of the explanations Winky happily agreed to be serve the Black family and as he had done with Dobby, Harry bound her to him.

"Now as to where we'll be going, Luna said we should go to the place of snakes." Corvus said, pulling out the folder containing his family portfolios and shuffling through to find the lists of properties from the Slytherin Lordship. "She specifically mentioned a place of darkness and shadows." He recalled, pulling the list out and scanning down it, smiling when he saw the name he was looking for. "Darkwood Manor. She's fifty steps ahead of us." He shook his head and tucked the parchment back in its place and replaced the folder in the bag. "We need to go now. I'm sure sunrise is close, I wouldn't be surprised if it had already come and gone."

"You have thirty minutes until sunrise, Lord Black." Ragefist said as he came from behind his desk, holding a blank sheaf of parchment. "I will enchant you an undetectable portkey to your new home, seeing as only the goblins know where Darkwood manor is located, per Salazar Slytherin's final instructions. You can go through and then the elves can bring young Lord Longbottom and your purchases to you as they will be able to pass the wards to reach their master once you have tied the wards to you." The goblin explained. "You must go now, however I have a few last things for you. First, the rings of Lordship for all of your estates." He handed Corvus an ornate box crafted in dark ebony wood with gold filigree. "Each is in its own ring box baring the crest of the family it represents. Included is a book on proper ring wearing ettiquet, though I am certain Lord Longbottom can assist you with them. Here are his rings as well." A smaller and less ornate box made of oak was passed to Harry next, both boxes joined the leather folders in the book bag.

"Here are the keys to all of your vaults and properties, each is tagged for your convenience." Ragefist said as he passed an obscenely large ring which overflowed with keys to him before handing him a second and far more sparse ring of keys. "And here is Lord Longbottom's keys."

The goblin handed him a black velvet pouch. "Here is the gold you requested from your vault." And another tan leather pouch was handed over. "And the gold Lord Longbottom requested." The pouches as well as the keys were also dumped into the rapidly filling bag.

Handing over a parcel wrapped in black cloth and secured with a silver ribbon. "Letters from your parents, both sets. They were left in your vaults for you. I thought it better you read them in private." The goblin said respectfully. "Finally, once you get settled and look over your familial assets, if there are things you wish to retrieve from your vaults, you can sent your elf with a letter with your request and we can pull the items and send them back with the elf."

"Thank you Ragefist." Corvus said, his voice a bit choked up as he reverently took the spall package of letters and tucked them into his pocket. "Thank you for everything. I cannot begin to thank you or repay you."

"You owe me nothing. It is my upmost honor to give aid to the last heir of the line of Le Fey. You have been wronged, even within these walls and it is my honor to right even some of those wrongs. What you achieve in the world will be repayment enough." Ragefist said seriously, an unusual about of respect in his voice. Goblins never showed so much respect to wizard kind and Corvus was truly touched and felt overwhelmed as he took the portkey.

"I appreciate it." Were the last words Corvus Black spoke before the portkey whisked him and Hermione away.


End file.
